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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29699595">But their hearts don’t beat like ours</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DamnSterek/pseuds/DamnSterek'>DamnSterek</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Awkward Derek Hale, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Derek Hale is a Softie, Eternal Sterek, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Homeschooled Derek, Light Angst, Lydia Martin &amp; Stiles Stilinski Friendship, M/M, Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Minor Allison Argent/Isaac Lahey, Minor Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Derek, Secrets, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Socially Awkward Derek Hale, Werewolf Derek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:15:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,865</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29699595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DamnSterek/pseuds/DamnSterek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I swear to God, I’ll leave this pack, you’ll never see me again, I’ll just go and live as an Omega for all I care,” Derek said. It was too soft to sound like a young adult being angry, but it was harsh enough to sound like a Derek Hale being angry. “I am going to college.”</p>
<p>Talia, his mother, was shocked. Eric, his father, was shocked. Peter, his uncle, was shocked. Everyone, including his grandmother who always acted half-deaf, was shocked. </p>
<p>“Unacceptable,” the latter said. </p>
<p>Derek bit on his lip, trying to stop the blush from creeping up his neck and face. He pushed his glasses a little higher. </p>
<p>“But, abuelita—”</p>
<p>“At least not in those clothes,” the old woman finished her sentence. </p>
<p>Around him Derek heard his cousins and sisters laughs, even the adults smiled — except uncle Peter who just loved to bother Derek, he was flat-out crying from laughter. Derek’s face turned as bright as the tomatoes on their dinner table. </p>
<p>Well, at least he got to go to college, that’s what counted, right?</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Or, that one college-AU where Werewolf!Derek and Stiles fall in love.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>179</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Vanilla and Mischief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi Folks,</p>
<p>So, this story is based on<a href="https://sterekhaleyes.tumblr.com/post/642850839025909760/devildoll-this-is-the-cocky-college-student"> this </a>Tumblr post :) The title is a sentence of The World is Ugly by My Chemical Romance.</p>
<p>Have fun reading x :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> “I swear to God, I’ll leave this pack, you’ll never see me again, I’ll just go and live as an Omega for all I care,” Derek said. It was too soft to sound like a young adult being angry, but it was harsh enough to sound like a Derek Hale being angry. “I am going to college.”</p><p> </p><p>Talia, his mother, was shocked. Eric, his father, was shocked. Peter, his uncle, was shocked. Everyone, including his grandmother who always acted half-deaf, was shocked.</p><p> </p><p>“Unacceptable,” the latter said.</p><p> </p><p>Derek bit on his lip, trying to stop the blush from creeping up his neck and face. He pushed his glasses a little higher.</p><p> </p><p>“But, <em>abuelita</em>—”</p><p> </p><p>“At least not in those clothes,” the old woman finished her sentence.</p><p> </p><p>Around him Derek heard his cousins and sisters laughs, even the adults smiled — except Uncle Peter who just loved to bother Derek, he was flat-out crying from laughter. Derek’s face turned as bright as the tomatoes on their dinner table.</p><p> </p><p>Well, at least he got to go to college, that’s what counted, right?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> • • • • •</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Derek was not good at making friends, so his first few days were… not like in the movies. Being homeschooled was familiar, he knew everyone. Because they were legit his family, they were pack.</p><p> </p><p>Peter had tried to talk him out of it, so had his father. But Derek was proud to say he had stood ground and had enrolled into college.</p><p> </p><p>He looked down at his phone, pushing his glasses up some more. He was waiting in front of room 017, Mythology 101. Derek was probably the most excited for this course.</p><p> </p><p>But he was the first there, the door was even locked. A girl walked up to him, trying to open the door. She failed, just like Derek had. Even the teacher was not there yet.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course it’s closed, otherwise you wouldn’t be standing out here,” she said, awkwardly scolding herself.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just looked at her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Say something!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>But what?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Hi, I’m Erica,” she smiled, offering her hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Uhm, hi,” Derek answered, hastily shaking her hand.</p><p> </p><p>She raised her eyebrows at him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Your name?” she answered his thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>He could punch himself in the face right now. Was he stupid? “Yeah, sorry, uh, Derek, nice to meet you.”</p><p> </p><p>“You too,” she smiled again, letting go of his hand. “So, you’re an early bird too. Excited?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “Yeah, yes I am.”</p><p> </p><p>It stayed silent then between them. Fortunately, the professor came and opened the door to the classroom.</p><p> </p><p>Derek sat down in the second row near the middle, Erica followed him swift. She left a seat between them though and gave him a smile as she sat down.</p><p> </p><p>“My boyfriend told me to make some friends my own age, so I think you have to get used to me,” she said, pulling her messy hair back in a ponytail.</p><p> </p><p>Derek could smell the anxiety under her confident and almost joking sentence. So, he just nodded.</p><p> </p><p>Soon other students started to flow into the room, making it more and more crowded and louder. Derek took a deep breath, almost choking on all the different smells.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay?” Erica asked worried. “You need some water?” She offered him her bottle.</p><p> </p><p>He just shook his head, breathing out slowly. “M’fine.” Then he quickly mumbled, “Thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>It was not like he didn’t know how to control sounds and smells and other basic werewolf stuff. It was just… this was all new. He was still trying to adapt. But he wouldn’t fail. Definitely not. He had to show the pack it was okay for them to be normal and do normal, human stuff. He could be an example for all his cousins who wanted to go to college too, maybe even for his sisters.</p><p> </p><p>The professor closed the door loudly, indicating that he was going to start. Just when he had welcomed everyone, <em>twice</em>, it finally got quiet. “Tonight is a full moon,” he started. “So, taking that as a sign, let’s talk about lycanthropy, better known as—”</p><p> </p><p>The classroom door opened, and a boy stepped inside. He looked at the professor and gave him a grin.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, Stilinski,” the professor welcomed him. “I already heard you’d be joining us again this year.”</p><p> </p><p>Well, that didn’t sound welcoming at all. Why again? Had he failed the course last year?</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Harris,” he still grinned. “Home sweet home, no?” Then he made his way up the stairs to sit somewhere.</p><p> </p><p>Derek didn’t think it was a good sign the professor – or Harris, like the boy had called him – knew him by name. He just didn’t get a good feeling about it.</p><p> </p><p>Still, the moment the boy had entered, Derek’s nostrils flared at his smell. It was weird… vanilla and mischief. The grin on the boy’s face had been cocky. Derek just knew the kind of people nobody liked in the movies about college, were like this boy in real life. So, no go.</p><p> </p><p>He shook his head a little, stopping his train of thoughts and focussed on the professor again. Were they seriously going to talk about werewolves?</p><p> </p><p> <strong>•</strong> <strong>• • • •</strong></p><p> </p><p>“Come sit with us during lunch,” Erica said.</p><p> </p><p>“Us?” Derek asked, pushing his glasses a little higher on his nose.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, my boyfriend and a few other friends,” she answered.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I’m not sure, I—”</p><p> </p><p>“They won’t bite,” she offered. “I won’t let you sit by yourself, <em>oh</em>, except of course if you really want that, which is totally fine too,” she quickly added. “Then I’ll let you be.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek ducked his head a little, smiling softly. Erica was a nice person. So, he nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Great,” she said, walking towards the cafeteria.</p><p> </p><p>This, however, was cliché. It was just like in the movies. The other days Derek had been sitting outside, eating his lunch, and talking to some pack mates on the phone. But now, now he got the full college experience.</p><p> </p><p>He swallowed, sticking close to Erica. At least she seemed to know what she was doing.</p><p> </p><p>Near the end, next to the large window, was where she stopped.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi!” she greeted the table. “You guys, this is Derek, he’s in my Mythology 101 class.” She sat down next to a dark guy, pecking his lips.</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked around the table and sat on Erica’s right. Should he say something? But what? They probably expected him to say something. But what? What was he supposed to say? Erica had introduced him, that’s it right?</p><p> </p><p>Erica was no help either, she was talking to her boyfriend — at least Derek assumed that was who he was. Of course he was, people didn’t just go around kissing other people.  </p><p> </p><p>“So, Derek, first year here?” a girl asked.</p><p> </p><p>He nodded. “Uh, yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where’d you go to school?” she asked interest. Derek could hear the honesty in it.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, I was, uh, homeschooled,” he answered, swallowing.</p><p> </p><p>This got Erica’s attention. “Ah cool, we went to high school together, that’s why we know each other.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek just nodded. Then everybody resumed their conversation, like Derek was not even there. Or, maybe rather like he was there, but it was not weird. There were no bad feelings at the table.</p><p> </p><p>He picked up a few names. Erica’s boyfriend was called Boyd. His best friend was Isaac. There was his girlfriend Allison. And her best friend Lydia.</p><p> </p><p>He drank from his water bottle and listened to the conversations around him.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, yeah, Stiles joined us, Harris was pissed,” Erica laughed. She looked at a few pills in her hand and gulped them down with some water.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s eyes grew, as he looked at the girl next to him. What? Had she just taken drugs in the middle of a school?</p><p> </p><p>Erica apparently felt his gaze on her, because she whipped her head around to meet his eyes. It took her just a moment to click. Then she laughed. “Chill, they’re anti-epileptics.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek could feel his cheeks burn. Why the heck did he think it was something bad immediately? Hadn’t he learned already college wasn’t like in the movies.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, totally,” he stammered. “I, I, it’s not like I, I mean c-cool, sure.”</p><p> </p><p>Erica shot him another laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“I swear he has a personal mission to ruin those people’s life,” Isaac laughed, resuming their conversation. “Where is he anyway?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm,” Lydia said with pouted lips. “It’s Friday, so he’s probably at the roof.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah,” Isaac answered. “Good to have his living agenda present.”</p><p> </p><p>Lydia rolled her eyes. “Once you know someone since you were in diapers, come talk to me again.”</p><p> </p><p>Who were they talking about anyway?</p><p> </p><p>Derek grabbed his phone to check where his next class would start. 326; so he had to move if he wanted to be on time.</p><p> </p><p>He awkwardly cleared his throat and stood up. “It was, uh, nice to meet you, but I have to get to class.” With a final nod at the group of friends he left them and walked towards the stairs. His ears were still with them though.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you guys think?” Erica asked.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s cute,” Allison answered.</p><p> </p><p>Boyd grunted, “He seems okay.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, he can stay,” Isaac said.</p><p> </p><p>“He is quiet though,” Lydia followed.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, he doesn’t know us yet, I think he’ll adjust in no time,” Erica said, ending the conversation.</p><p> </p><p>Derek let the door fall closed behind him and ascended the stairs. He decided he liked them. They hadn’t said anything about his odd behavior – he knew he was behaving like a weirdo, but he was adjusting. And they also hadn’t forced him to talk with them. Like he had thought before; there were no bad feelings at that table.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> • • • • •</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“And?” Talia asked, as she was cutting some more cucumber for the salad. “How was your first week?”</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” Derek mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“But?” his mother pressed, sensing there was more.</p><p> </p><p>“But nothing,” he said, chewing on a cucumber he had stolen.</p><p> </p><p>“Derek,” she said.</p><p> </p><p>“Mother,” he said back.</p><p> </p><p>She sighed. “Did you at least make friends?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I think I did,” he said unsure.</p><p> </p><p>“Say that again, did you make friends?” she asked again.</p><p> </p><p>“I think I did,” he repeated.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not lying,” she said shocked.  </p><p> </p><p>“Are you serious?” he sighed. “Bye, mom.” He stood up from his place and got out of the kitchen, almost running over his toddler cousins. Quickly he ran up the stairs and hid in his room — or shared room, but just leave him be.</p><p> </p><p>He put his glasses away and sat down behind his desk, to start on some homework. It was a lot.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you seriously doing homework on a Friday evening?” Peter asked, as he barged inside, half an hour later.</p><p> </p><p>“Technically it’s not evening yet, and yes, Peter,” Derek said, putting his finger on the sentence he had been reading. “I am doing some work for school.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a full moon, let’s go out tonight,” he proposed.</p><p> </p><p>“I promised to help Elijah,” Derek said.</p><p> </p><p>Peter groaned and sprawled on his bed. “You, nephew, used to be so much fun.”</p><p> </p><p>“When?” Derek snorted.</p><p> </p><p>“Well…” Peter took a moment to think about it. “Actually never, you’re a nerd,” he sighed. “Come on, let’s go for a run at night.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you want to, come on,” Peter pressed, smiling.</p><p> </p><p>Derek finally gave in, just to get him of his back than anything else, really. “Fine,” he huffed.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s my boy,” Peter said, standing up. “Dinner’s ready and your <em>abuelita</em> wants to hear about your school stories.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek groaned again. Why was life always working against him?</p><p> </p><p>They went downstairs and sat down at the large table, where everyone was present. That was something important; it didn’t matter what you were doing, once dinner was ready you’d drop everything to be present. They had dinner together every day and you needed to have a very, <em>very </em>good excuse if you wanted to skip it.</p><p> </p><p>Derek made it ten minutes into dinner, before his family bombarded him with questions. It was more a cross examination than a conversation, honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“How was your day?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want to get homeschooled again?”</p><p> </p><p>“Are there others like us?”</p><p> </p><p>“What is it you do again?”</p><p> </p><p>“She means: what do you actually study?”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you have enough fun? Now it’s better to stop this nonsense.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you really leaving us if they force you to stop college?”</p><p> </p><p>And it went on, and on, and on. They didn’t even wait for Derek’s responses, so he didn’t even bother. His uncle Peter gave him a look, then cleared his throat.</p><p> </p><p>“Derek and I are going for a run, who is coming with?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, definitely,” Jason grinned.</p><p> </p><p>“Us too,” Emily said, nodding to her twin sister.</p><p> </p><p>Cora nodded. Laura gave her uncle a peace sign, as she gulped down her food.</p><p> </p><p>“I want to go too,” Marcus exclaimed excited.</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely not,” Aunt Martha said. “You’re thirteen.”</p><p> </p><p>“So? Derek went when he was twelve!” Marcus talked back.</p><p> </p><p>His father, Uncle Patrick, snorted. “Please, don’t compare yourself to Derek.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your time will come,” Aunt Martha said, petting her eldest son on the head. She just earned a frown of her child.</p><p> </p><p>“I take it you will be responsible?” their Alpha asked her son, focusing her eyes on Uncle Peter.</p><p> </p><p>He just grinned at her. “Don’t worry, <em>abuelita</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>She flashed her eyes at his sarcastic remark. “Do not make me regret giving birth to you.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s younger cousins laughed, as his uncle Peter still grinned.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> • • • • •</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jason howled loudly at the moon, as they ran through the Hale’s preserve. He heard the twins mimic their older brother. All their sounds echoing trough the woods into the night; the moon shining brightly.</p><p> </p><p>Derek loved turning into a full wolf, at least no one expected him to talk. He ran freely, dodging all the trees, as he heard his family howl some more. Derek wasn’t going to howl yet. It was an unspoken agreement: howl to let the others know where you are. But Derek wanted to be alone for a little while.</p><p> </p><p>So, he went to the cliff near the end of the preserve. It was a hill rather than a cliff, but a cliff always sounded cooler. At least Derek thought so.</p><p> </p><p>Still, once he reached the spot, hearing the howls fade behind him, he stopped. He got a whiff of a smell that didn’t belong to any of his family members. Slowly, he looked at where it was coming from, trying to hide himself between the trees.</p><p> </p><p><em>There.</em> Someone was sitting near the hill, he was leaning against a tree. His heartbeat steady, while others would be scared shitless; he was alone, it was nearing midnight and there were wolves – actual wolves – howling all around him. How was he not scared? His scent wasn’t filled with anxiety and his heart was beating steadily.</p><p> </p><p>His scent was what caught Derek of guard. It was something like vanilla and oud wood or amber. It was nice. He did a small step forward, cracking a twig.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Fuck. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The boy only threw a look at the tree, but thankfully it was too dark to see Derek, plus he was hiding behind the other trees. It was not too dark where he was seated.</p><p> </p><p>It was the boy from his Mythology 101 class, the one that had interrupted their class. Derek had forgotten his name – it was something foreign.</p><p> </p><p>Derek got out of his thoughts at this revelation, as Peter howled loudly. Derek had to get back. Quickly, he turned around and found the others again, he could smell Peter’s annoyance, but ignored it. The smell went way as they sprinted back to their house, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> • • • • •</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” Lydia smiled, sitting down next to Derek. He hadn’t even noticed her, as he was sketching on a piece of paper.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, hi,” he greeted back, looking at her.</p><p> </p><p>“How are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Good, good,” he said hastily. “You?”</p><p> </p><p>“Relax,” she said instead. “I know you’re new to this, but just try to,” she shrugged, pouting her lips. “Relax.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “Yeah, yeah, of course, sorry,” he said quickly.</p><p> </p><p>She raised her eyebrows at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” he laughed awkwardly, rubbing his neck, and pushing his glasses higher.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be, it’s okay, we’ll work on it.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded and looked up, to see the professor finally making her way to the front. He had noticed no one really bothered to be on time, he had always been the first one. Maybe he should… relax.</p><p> </p><p>“So, Derek, what do you study?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uhm, architecture, or well, I want to get my degree,” he answered, trying to sound relaxed.</p><p> </p><p>Lydia nodded. “Nice, so Mythology is an extra subject?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded too. “Uhm, yeah, it just, uh,” he shrugged. “It fascinates me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can imagine, I’m studying Natural Sciences,” she said – Derek probably should have asked, even just to be polite. “But I like designing, so I sometimes follow a few extra courses like these.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded, not really knowing what to say. But he didn’t have to. Someone dropped next to Lydia and Derek’s nostrils immediately filled with the same mixture of vanilla and amber he had smelled during the nigh of the full moon, and last week during his Mythology 101 class.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles,” Lydia said, petting his head, that was laying on the small college table.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m dead,” he muttered.</p><p> </p><p>“Hungover?”</p><p> </p><p>“Worse,” he mumbled back.</p><p> </p><p>Lydia shook her head at him.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was just looking at the two. Was this her boyfriend? Wasn’t that the same boy that had walked into their Mythology class? The same boy that had been sitting near Derek’s spot on the hill?</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the boy lifted his head, ruffling his own hair. He looked over at Derek – and Derek’s heart literally stopped a heartbeat. His eyes were gold, was he…</p><p> </p><p>Derek smelled again. No. He was not a wolf. Derek blinked a few times and saw the light was playing a big part in the golden eyes department. Stiles’s eyes were more a shade of amber.</p><p> </p><p>“You must be Derek,” he said, stretching out his hand. “Stiles,” he introduced himself. “Stilinski.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shook his hand, nodding quickly.</p><p> </p><p>“Derek is new,” Lydia explained. “He’s been homeschooled all his life.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, cool, welcome to hell,” the boy mumbled, dropping his head on Lydia’s shoulder and nuzzling there.</p><p> </p><p>Derek couldn’t keep his eyes from the boy. He was so… not caring about what people thought. Derek acknowledged that was a weird description of someone, but he didn’t know how else he had to explain the way he held himself.</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t smell like arrogance or haughtiness. He just looked like he didn’t care about anything. What he <em>did</em> smell like was sleep deprivation.</p><p> </p><p>The professor started her explanation of what sketches should look like and what was important about blueprints.</p><p> </p><p>“Stilinski!” she suddenly shouted – did seriously every professor know him or something?</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just gave her a thumbs up, without opening his eyes or lifting his head. “I’m listening, miss Martin.”</p><p> </p><p>Lydia shrugged her left shoulder at the middle-aged woman. She gave the girl a look back. Lydia pushed Stiles of her shoulder with a sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“Could you just for once put me before you mom?” he sighed desperate.</p><p> </p><p>“Never,” Lydia laughed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Mom? </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Was the professor her mother? Exactly at that moment, as if she had heard Derek’s thoughts, Lydia faced him.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s my mother,” she explained. “Stiles and I have known each other since… well forever,” she decided. “Our mothers were best friends since primary school, so we practically became siblings.”</p><p> </p><p>So… not her boyfriend then. At least, Derek didn’t think anyone would call their significant other a sibling.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, okay,” Derek answered. Because what else was there to say?</p><p> </p><p>“Dude,” Stiles said, getting up again, suppressing a yawn. “Why architecture?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek thought about it for a moment. “I like drawing,” he shrugged. “And creating things, I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>The boy nodded. “Yeah, neat, cool.”</p><p> </p><p>He thought everything was cool. Derek stopped the scoff that was threatening to come out of his mouth at his own thoughts. “So, what do you do?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shot him a grin. “Just a bit of everything.”</p><p> </p><p>Lydia rolled her eyes at him. “This boy is… Well, let’s just say, he already did some courses while he was a junior in high school.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that even allowed?” Derek asked confused.</p><p> </p><p>“It is, but it’s not valid, because you cannot make any exams,” Lydia answered. “But he does them this year, and meanwhile follows new courses.”</p><p> </p><p>“I never knew that was even possible,” Derek said back, thinking it over. The boy had not been lying when he had told him he did a bit of everything.</p><p> </p><p>“Neither did we, or the professors, until Stiles proved it,” Lydia laughed, as if she was recalling some memories. Derek understood why that would be funny.</p><p> </p><p>“But what do you want to do?” Derek asked intrigued, when he looked at Stiles, he was already looking at him. It made him gulp, and he didn’t even understand why.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I will join the FBI,” he said matter-of-factly.</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned. “Then–”</p><p> </p><p>“What am I doing here?” Stiles finished Derek’s question, with a small sigh. Apparently, Derek was not being original with his question. “You have to be twenty-three to enroll, and I’m not one to waste my time, so I thought I’d come to college with my friends and learn some new things.”</p><p> </p><p>“And annoy lots of people,” Lydia corrected.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shot her a grin, she suppressed her own, as she shook her head at him.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the lecture, they stayed silent.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve already done this assignment last year, if any of you want it, just let me know,” Stiles said, pulling the straps of his backpack over his shoulders and leaving with a peace sign.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> • • • • •</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>That wasn’t the last time Derek would see Stiles. The boy was… intriguing. And that sounded weird, even in Derek’s head, let alone out loud. That was probably the reason he didn’t tell anyone.</p><p> </p><p>Friday came around again, which meant it was time for Mythology 101 again. But Erica had already told him she wouldn’t be there, because she’d go away for the weekend with Boyd. Which meant Derek would sit alone, for the first time since his first week.</p><p> </p><p>Only he wasn’t.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles dropped besides him – <em>and</em> he was on time. Even professor Harris looked a little shocked.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Derek,” he greeted, letting out a sigh.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, hey.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you ever start your sentences without an uh?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked up at him with large eyes, but when he saw the boy smiling, he relaxed. “Bad habit,” he said unsure.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s cool,” Stiles answered, yawning.</p><p> </p><p>“You should probably sleep earlier,” Derek said. He had seen Stiles several times now, and he always seemed tired – or at least smelt like it.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles huffed out a laugh, and nodded, closing his eyes as he leaned against his hand. “Whatever you say, big guy.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek bit his lip and focused on the professor who was starting his lecture of the day. But soon Stiles interrupted him again.</p><p> </p><p>“We have to form duo’s after this, want to partner up?” he asked, his eyes still closed.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, I mean, what about Erica?” Derek asked, not sure if he wanted to work with Stiles. He was still… somewhat of a mystery. It was weird. He made Derek’s skin crawl.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, she can join us,” he answered matter-of-factly. “I’ll ask Harris nicely.”</p><p> </p><p>It sounded more like ‘I’ll annoy him until he gives in’.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. Then opened his mouth, because – stupid, Stiles had his eyes closed. “Yeah, yeah sure.”</p><p> </p><p>It stayed silent for a moment, then he opened his mouth again, as he studied Stiles’s features. “Stiles?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uhm,” Derek started.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles opened his eyes to give him a pointed look.</p><p> </p><p>Derek could feel the red spots in his face. “Right, sorry,” he mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just grinned at him, still leaning against his hand, motioning for him to go further.</p><p> </p><p>“I just, I wanted to ask, I mean I— are you okay?” he finally just blurted.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s grin fell and he sat straighter, looking at Derek. “What do you mean?”</p><p> </p><p>The blush on Derek’s face spread and he felt blood rush to his face and throat. <em>Damn him</em>. Why did he have to ask such things? He just shrugged, turning his eyes to Professor Harris.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no,” Stiles said. “No way you’re escaping that easily, buddy.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek just ignored him. He was childish like that.</p><p> </p><p>“Derek,” he said, tapping his shoulder. “Derrrrek, Deruk, Derk, buddy, dude, Hale, Haaaaale,” he kept on calling him different names and tapping his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“I just asked if you were okay,” he whisper-shouted, when he finally had enough.</p><p> </p><p>“And I asked why?” Stiles whisper-shouted back. Or at least he tried to, because it was much louder than a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>The image of Stiles on the hill was plastered in Derek’s mind, but he couldn’t just tell him that. So, he went with his other concern.</p><p> </p><p>“Because you’re always so tired,” Derek mumbled back.</p><p> </p><p>“Aw, are you worried about me?” Stiles teased.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just rolled his eyes and wrote down what his professor said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> • • • • •</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Derek had been on time. More than on time. But there was a rule that if one of the pack called you’d have to pick up. It could be something <em>really</em> important.</p><p> </p><p>So, when his uncle Peter called, just moments before his Building Construction class would start, he picked up and walked outside. At least he’d have a little bit of privacy there.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello?” Derek picked up.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, nephew,” Peter greeted back, surprised.</p><p> </p><p>“Everything okay?” Derek asked worried.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I think so, how about you?”</p><p> </p><p>“You think so? What do you mean? Is something wrong? Did something happen? Should I come home?” Derek rambled.</p><p> </p><p>His uncle stayed quiet for a heartbeat. “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Derek breathed. “Yes, I’m fine, why are you calling?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, just because I was bored,” was the reply he got.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s mouth fell slightly open. “So, let me get this right,” he started. “You called me, in the middle of a school day, just because you were bored, making me late for the first time in my life, might I add!”</p><p> </p><p>“Easy, boy,” Peter laughed.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just hung up. Maybe he could still be… he looked at his watch. <em>Nope</em>. He was definitely late.</p><p> </p><p>Oh, God. How was he going to get in unnoticed?</p><p> </p><p>He remembered how everyone always turned their attention to the one that was late. Derek didn’t want that. But on the other hand he wanted to be present.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly, he listened, sometimes his extra hearing came in handy, and he heard the students still talking to each other. The professor hadn’t started yet. So, if he was quick about, and sat down on the corner of the first row, nobody would really notice him.</p><p> </p><p>As fast as humanly possible, because he didn’t want to get even more attention once he’d use werewolf speed, he opened the door and took place on the first chair. People were still talking, as he focused his eyes on the seat and took place. <em>Mission accomplished</em>.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t until almost halfway through the lecture he felt eyes burning on the back of his head, and he smelt a familiar scent. It made him wonder what Stiles actually studied that he had this much free time to follow so many random courses.</p><p> </p><p>Derek slowly followed the imaginary path Stiles’s eyes traveled, until he found the amber orbs. His breath stoked into his throat, as he looked in front of him again.</p><p> </p><p>But Stiles didn’t stop looking. His scent even intensified.</p><p> </p><p>Derek could feel his heart beat a mile an hour, as he swallowed. His skin started to crawl again, and he barely heard the professor that was giving his lecture.</p><p> </p><p>He looked back at Stiles, who was still staring at him. This time he held his eyes, until he felt his own starting to change, quickly he turned around again.</p><p> </p><p>What was he doing? He was not going to shift <em>in the middle of class!</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>He shifted in his seat, trying to focus on his education, but who was he joking? Inhaling deeply again, he closed his eyes for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles smelled good. <em>Really</em> good.</p><p> </p><p>When their professor indicated his lecture was done, Derek grabbed his stuff and fled the classroom.</p><p> </p><p>After that Tuesday, it happened again on Thursday during his design class with Lydia and on Friday during his Mythology class with Erica.</p><p>
  
</p><p>He had mumbled a quick bye to Lydia and sped out of the room. He had mumbled a quick bye to Erica and nearly ran out of the classroom. Stiles was pestering him, and he couldn’t do anything about it. What was he going to do? Walk up to him and ask why he was staring?</p><p> </p><p>Derek scoffed at his own thoughts, as he made his way home. He decided to walk.</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, no,” he almost cried frustrated, as Stiles’s scent intensified.</p><p> </p><p>“Need a ride?” he asked, his window rolled down.</p><p> </p><p>“No, thanks,” Derek mumbled to his shoes, as he kept walking.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles drove slowly next to him. “Come on, get in.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek stubbornly shook his head. “I like walking.”</p><p> </p><p>“Understatement, dude, but get in, it will rain soon, and we need to schedule a meeting for Mythology,” he said, stopping the car. “And since I don’t have your phone number, we’ll do it the old-fashioned way.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek stopped in sync with the jeep and blinked up at Stiles, who was grinning at him. When he just stood there, gawking at him, Stiles raised his eyebrows in anticipation.</p><p> </p><p>“So? Are you coming?”</p><p> </p><p><em>He did not</em>. Stiles had not meant it that way – at least Derek didn’t think he did – but the blush that crept over Derek’s face, was enough to give away what had crossed his mind. So, he quickly got in.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles drove away and for a moment it was silent, until Stiles gasped. “It’s on the radio!” he yelled, turning up the volume.</p><p> </p><p>Derek startled, but listened to the song. He just heard drums and guitars for a while, but already decided he didn’t know the song. He was not really into rock, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>These are the eyes and the lies of the taken, these are their hearts, but their hearts don’t beat like ours</em>,” Stiles sang with the man on the radio, drumming his fingers on the wheel of his car.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just listened intend, as Stiles hummed and sang happily. It was a sight to behold.</p><p> </p><p>When the song slowly trailed off, he turned his head to Derek. Who was openly staring at him.</p><p> </p><p>“You still live near the preserve?” Stiles asked.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded, then stopped mid motion and frowned. “Uh, how do you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know everything, DerDer.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>DerDer? </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Derek was officially confused. What was even going on?</p><p> </p><p>“Um, okay,” he mumbled. “About Mythology—”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry,” Stiles interrupted him, turning the radio down a little. “I already did the assignment two years ago.”</p><p> </p><p>“But, what?” he said confused. “Then why did you want to team up with me… and Erica,” he added quickly. Apparently not quick enough, because Stiles started to grin again.</p><p> </p><p>“Mostly because I want to get to know you, you’re hot,” he said, exactly on that matter-of-factly way he always talked. For all he cared he could have told Derek oranges were orange. “But also, because the assignment was not valid, so I have to submit it anyway, so why not help you guys out a bit?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek just stayed silent. Stiles’s heart hadn’t skipped a beat. He was serious. Stiles really thought Derek was hot.</p><p> </p><p>Nervously he pushed his glasses a little higher and stared out of the window. It stayed silent again, as Derek heard Stiles’s heart beat steadily. Was he seriously the only one freaking out here?</p><p> </p><p>He drove up to the preserve, only to see Peter, Cora and his mother out there.</p><p> </p><p>Why did life always have to be against him?</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t get freaked out because I told you you’re hot, I think a lot of people are hot,” Stiles smiled reassuringly, before he got out.</p><p> </p><p>Derek quickly got out, not really sure what to do with that information. He stashed it away for later, when he was alone. Now, Stiles was walking around the jeep to greet his family. <em>Oh, no. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Hi, Stiles,” his mom smiled.</p><p> </p><p>What? She knew him?</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Mrs. Hale,” Stiles greeted back. “How are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m well, thank you, how’s your father?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s good,” he nodded. “I just dropped Derek home, so I’ll get going now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, thank you, but you have to stay for dinner,” Derek’s mother said. She looked steadfast, and Derek knew she would not accept a no.</p><p> </p><p>Please, please let him go. What was going on? He didn’t understand anything anymore.</p><p> </p><p>“I—”</p><p> </p><p>“I won’t accept a no, Stiles,” Talia said, turning around to walk to the house. “I’ll see you inside.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uhm,” Stiles just mumbled. For the first time since Derek had met him, he saw him being dumbstruck. It was weird to see. Stiles was confident, a little cocky and too sarcastic for his own good. He was not unsure or out of place, so this was new.</p><p> </p><p>“You have no choice,” Peter said, laughing quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, okay, let me park the car a little out of the way,” Stiles said, walking quickly to his jeep.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously?” Peter asked. “Stiles Stilinski?”</p><p> </p><p>“You know him as well?” Derek asked bewildered.</p><p> </p><p>“He told you you’re hot?” Cora asked evenly as bewildered.</p><p> </p><p>“Peter, what is going on?” Derek ignored Cora’s question.</p><p> </p><p>Peter frowned. “He is Stiles Stilinski, John Stilinski’s son,” his uncle explained. “The Sheriff.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek raised his eyebrows, <em>the fuck</em>? “I didn’t know he had any children, didn’t his wife die or something?”</p><p> </p><p>Peter raised his eyes upwards with a sigh, as if asking the universe to strike his nephew with some lightning. “That was after Stiles was born, are you seriously not interested in the people around you or are you just playing dumb?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek sputtered for a moment, barely processing this news. Then again, it was a little stupid he didn’t immediately link the last names.</p><p> </p><p>Cora was just staring at Stiles, who finally got out of the car again. “He called you hot,” she repeated. Then she ran to their house like a madwoman.</p><p> </p><p>Well… there went his privacy. Within seconds the whole pack would know — if they didn’t already.</p><p> </p><p>He sighed, walking with Stiles and his uncle to their house.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> • • • • •</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“So, Stiles, how is the Sheriff nowadays?” Derek’s grandmother asked. “He hasn’t visited for ages.”</p><p> </p><p>“Literally. You’re a man now,” Uncle Patrick added.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s doing good, he sends his greetings,” Stiles answered politely. “He has just been busy.”</p><p> </p><p><em>Abuelita </em>nodded and gave Derek a look. He knew he reeked of nervousness. His skin was still feeling weird. He swallowed and averted his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you study, Stiles?” Laura asked interested.</p><p> </p><p>“Criminology,” Stiles smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“A little bit of everything, right?” Derek repeated his own words.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grinned at him, holding his eyes for a moment too long.</p><p> </p><p>“Will you be sheriff too?” Ashley asked, lisping through her missing front-teeth.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles looked at the little girl, shaking his head. “No, I, uhm, I want to join the FBI.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek was ashamed of his family, they kept asking Stiles stuff. Finally, his father took pity on him.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, guys, let Stiles have dinner in peace now,” Derek’s father ordered.</p><p> </p><p>They indeed let him be and started to talk to one another. Stiles and Derek just silently ate next to each other. Occasionally, Derek looked up from his plate to see Stiles looking around in awe.</p><p> </p><p>What was he looking at?</p><p> </p><p>As if he had heard the question in his head, Stiles answered. “You guys are with so many, it’s lovely,” he sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“Trust me, it isn’t,” Derek snorted.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shrugged. “Most of the time I eat alone, it’s just my pops and I, you know, so when he’s at work I’m home alone.” The grin that was plastered on his face was fake. Derek didn’t need werewolf senses for that.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome to dine with us,” Derek mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” Stiles said, it sounded heartfelt.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Derek thought back at how Stiles was sitting near the hill at night, looking over Beacon Hills. Stiles was in fact not okay. No matter how much he smiled, grinned, and joked.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles, come on, we’ll show you the house!” Alex said, jumping up.</p><p> </p><p>His cousin James jumped up too. “Yeah, let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p>The seven-year-olds pulled Stiles away from the dinner table and to the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>Derek sighed. Then he felt eyes on him, not just a pair or two or three, at least a dozen.</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you smell like that next to the Stilinski kid?” his grandfather asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Lost,” Laura clarified.</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned, pushing his glasses up. “I have no idea what you are talking about,” he answered, standing up. “And if you don’t mind, I’ll check on what is happening upstairs, since he was suddenly invited for dinner as if we have known him our whole life.”</p><p> </p><p>“We do,” Derek’s mother said back. “Just not you.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek grunted and ascended the stairs. Of course, they were in his room. Where else would they be?</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was laying on Derek’s bed, reading a book. Derek gulped at the sight and sent his cousins away. They ran downstairs the moment Derek told them there was cake downstairs.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” Derek said, still standing in the doorway, unsure of himself.</p><p> </p><p><em>Lost.</em> Laura’s word echoed through his head.</p><p> </p><p>He cleared his throat and walked inside, it was <em>his</em> room for God’s sake.</p><p> </p><p>“I like your books,” Stiles said, turning the page to what seemed to be Pride and Prejudice. “You must be a romantic.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek cleared his throat awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands. When Stiles looked up, he could feel blood rush to his face. “I, uh.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grinned. “I’m just teasing, don’t act like that,” he said, sitting up and putting the book away. “Anyways, thanks for having me, but I have to go.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek just nodded, dumbstruck. Together they walked downstairs, where some of Derek’s cousins were annoyed that they were the ones on kitchen duty. Meanwhile his grandparents sat in front of the TV, eating some of the cake Derek had referred to, but didn’t know was actually in their house. His mother came around the corner and smiled at the two boys.</p><p> </p><p>“Mom, Stiles is going home,” Derek said.</p><p> </p><p>Talia’s face fell. “Oh, but you didn’t have some cake yet.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles gave her a smile, that put the sun to shame. “Thank you, Mrs. Hale, but I really have to go.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, another time then,” she gave in. “Give our greetings to your father.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” Stiles said solemnly.</p><p> </p><p>“Derek, walk him out,” she said, before disappearing into the living room.</p><p> </p><p>He was going to do that anyway, he thought, stopping himself from rolling his eyes. He patiently waited for Stiles to put on his shoes and grab his jacket.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, give me your phone so I can put my number in it,” Stiles said.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s hand went to his pants, but his phone wasn’t there. He could hear laughing from the living room, and annoyed went over there.</p><p> </p><p>Cora made kissing sounds, throwing Derek’s phone to Laura, who was grinning madly.</p><p> </p><p>“Give it to me,” he whispered annoyed. “He’s waiting.” With a quick step he was in front of Laura, grabbing… into thin air. She had thrown his phone to Sam.</p><p> </p><p>“Sam,” Derek started, threateningly. “I swear to go–” Before he could finish that sentence, his cousin threw the phone to his uncle. Who had the audacity to grin at him.</p><p> </p><p>“I hate you all,” he declared, stamping away. Stiles was still waiting at the same spot. A little sheepishly, Derek scratched his head. “I, um, couldn’t find it but I can put mine in yours.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grinned at his choice of words and nodded slowly.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Number</em>, I mean, my number in your phone,” he sputtered.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Stiles grinned, giving him his phone.</p><p> </p><p>The laughs and whistles he got, after he had closed the door minutes later, were not worth the cake he had planned on eating.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Secrets and a Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Helloooo! New chapter, new details ;) Have fun reading x</p><p> — <strong> slightly mature content </strong>— </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Derek gulped at his thoughts. Stiles’ eyes kept following him into every corner of his mind. Followed by his grin and his plump, pink lips.</p><p> </p><p>God, what was he thinking about?</p><p> </p><p>At least Peter was asleep on the other side of their room.</p><p> </p><p>Frustrated he pushed his face into his pillow, which was an even bigger mistake. Stiles’ scent was still lingering there from that afternoon.</p><p> </p><p>It made Derek groan, pressing his hips into his mattress in reflex.</p><p> </p><p>No, way. He was not going to have sexual fantasies about a guy he just met.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly, he turned around again. Derek closed his eyes and took deep breaths, until he finally fell asleep. Not that it was any better…</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>Turns out Stiles did not use Derek’s phone number for their Mythology 101 class. He had been immediately dropped into a group chat with Erica’s friends, who Derek had met that first Friday. They included him in everything, it was nice. They also didn’t mind that he read more than wrote.</p><p> </p><p>Derek, however, didn’t like how he felt when Stiles was near. Lost, Laura had called it. And that is how he was feeling, which was also the reason he had ditched Stiles. Until that Friday.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was sitting with the others at the table near the big window in the cafeteria.</p><p> </p><p>Erica was telling them something about a woman that had approached her for some modeling work. She declined in a way only Erica could.</p><p> </p><p>“What happened then?” Allison laughed, leaning against Isaac in the process. He didn’t seem to mind, as he wrapped his arm around her.</p><p> </p><p>“Then she looked at me like–” Erica stopped midsentence, as Stiles dropped next to Derek. “Uh, hi.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t tell me Derek infected you with the ‘uh’s’.” He grabbed a bottle of water out of his backpack and grinned at Erica.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing here?” Isaac asked, bewildered.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles played mock hurt, even putting a hand over his heart. “Lahey, I thought you liked me.”</p><p> </p><p>Isaac just rolled his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, God, you were serious,” Lydia suddenly said, looking at Stiles with large eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Erica asked, intrigued.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I am serious,” Stiles shrugged. “When am I not about these matters.”</p><p> </p><p>“What is it?” Erica asked again, not appreciating being ignored.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles, don’t,” Lydia warned.</p><p> </p><p>“Why wouldn’t I?” Stiles grinned back.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was confused, to say the least.</p><p> </p><p>“I am going to throw this at you,” Erica threatened, holding her sandwich up. “Tell me.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shot her a grin, holding her eyes. Then suddenly, something clicked inside Erica.</p><p> </p><p>“No, way,” she grinned, then she started laughing. Boyd’s face, was still as emotionless as ever, as she started to slap his bicep.</p><p> </p><p>“Do we want to know?” Allison asked, munching on her carrot.</p><p> </p><p>Lydia shook her head, but the said with a sigh, “Stiles is wooing people again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Again?” Stiles spluttered. “You’re making it sounds like I’m some fuckboy.”</p><p> </p><p>Lydia raised her eyebrows at him. Stiles raised them right back.</p><p> </p><p>“Honestly, Stiles, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were a virgin,” Boyd suddenly intervened.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles almost spit his water out. “I’m most definitely not,” he said. “Lydia and I fucked, didn’t we Lyds?” He pecked her cheek.</p><p> </p><p>She quickly wiped away his wet kiss and rolled her eyes again. “We most definitely did not.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, but seriously, who was your first, Stiles?” Erica joined the conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“Boy or girl?” he asked nonchalantly.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s heart stopped for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>Erica shrugged, indicating that it didn’t matter.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm, remember my sixteenth birthday?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Heather,” Allison nodded. “Of course, we remember, since <em>I</em> had to buy you condoms.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles laughed, not having a care in the world. “Well, that’s the perk of having an older friend.”</p><p> </p><p>Allison just shook her head.</p><p> </p><p>“But there was also that other girl,” Stiles went further. He snapped his fingers a few times, trying to come up with a name.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, hold on, you did not,” Erica suddenly said.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Stiles asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Was your first time a threesome?” she asked, large eyes and all.</p><p> </p><p>Derek turned around to look at Stiles, for the first time since he sat down. Stiles turned his face to Derek, locking their eyes, before shooting him a grin.</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Stiles finally said, standing up and cleaning his hands on his jeans. “It was nice to talk to you about my sex life, but I gotta go.”</p><p> </p><p>And he was gone. The others went further with their previous conversation, as if Stiles had never stopped by.</p><p> </p><p>Derek, however, was feeling things again he didn’t want to feel. But he could not stop thinking about how good it felt.</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>“Woah.” Peter quickly stepped aside, as Derek strode into their room and dropped himself – face first – onto his bed. “What’s wrong with you, buddy?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek just groaned into his pillow.</p><p> </p><p>“Talia!” Peter yelled. “Your son is cranky!”</p><p> </p><p>Derek let out an even louder groan, lifting his head. “What is wrong with you?”</p><p> </p><p>Immediately their room got swamped with people. Not only his mother, but his sisters, Asia, the twins and even aunt Jada came to see what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>“Leave me alone,” Derek sighed, pressing his face into his pillow again.</p><p> </p><p>He hated this.</p><p> </p><p>He never thought he would feel that way out loud, but he did. Or well, at least in his mind.</p><p> </p><p>Why did his family always have to be so concerned and so interfering? He just wanted to deal with his thoughts and feelings in peace, without them sniffing out – <em>literally</em> – what was up with him.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s going on, bunny?” his mother asked, coming closer.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing, just tired,” he mumbled quietly. Still, he knew everyone would hear it and they would hear his heart skip a beat. Another drawback of being a werewolf.</p><p> </p><p>His mother stayed silent, but a minute later he understood she had send everyone away. Silently, she sat down next to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Derek,” she started, caressing his hair. “If you want to quit college, that is okay, you know that, right?”</p><p> </p><p>He got up and looked at his mother. “Why would I do that?” he asked confused.</p><p> </p><p>She smiled at him, like only his mother could. “You haven’t been yourself lately,” she stated. “And I’m worried about you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head. “It’s not that easy, sweetheart.” Then she asked, “So, what is going on? And don’t lie this time.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” he shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it not like you expected?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “Yes and no.”</p><p> </p><p>She stayed quiet, encouraging him to elaborate.</p><p> </p><p>“I love the fact that I can have an education with other students, outside the family,” he offered.</p><p> </p><p>“But?”</p><p> </p><p>“But… the friendships,” he shrugged, not really knowing how to formulate it. “That’s different.”</p><p> </p><p>“How so?”</p><p> </p><p>His mother knew Derek was not the one to initiate conversations or friendships or anything really. He was still shocked about being a part of the group of friends. And he knew his mother was too.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just shrugged, standing up. “I don’t know, just,” he sighed. Why was it so hard to tell her what he felt? It was his mother. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, as he started to pace around.</p><p> </p><p>“You see, Derek,” Talia started. “The reason we all get homeschooled is because we <em>know</em> one another and we have nothing to hide from each other.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded, standing still. He knew that.</p><p> </p><p>“And that’s why it’s hard to befriend people who aren’t like us,” she followed. “I’m not saying it’s impossible, or you shouldn’t, but just know that it’s hard.”</p><p> </p><p>“But that’s it, it isn’t,” he confessed. “They are okay with everything I do, or rather don’t do.”</p><p> </p><p>His mother smiled at him. “That’s good, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “Yes, but I just– I don’t– I mean.” He groaned annoyed. “Why do I feel like this?” he finally blurted.</p><p> </p><p>“Like what, Derek?” she asked, a small frown forming on her face. He could see her sniff the air for an indication of her son’s state.</p><p> </p><p>Derek didn’t blame her; he didn’t understand himself, so how was his mother going to understand him?</p><p> </p><p>“My skin, it burns,” he explains. “Like, it itches, but I can’t scratch it, and sometimes it goes away and it feels weird. And my senses, at school, it’s a lot,” he rambled.</p><p> </p><p>She nodded. “That’s understandable, you spend a lot of time there, instead of at home or in the neighborhood, there are a lot of different smells over there, new ones,” she nodded. “So, it’s only natural that your senses are heightened.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded too. He knew that. It was just tiring.</p><p> </p><p>“How about the burning feeling?” she then asked. “When do you feel it?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shrugged. “It’s random, but almost every day.”</p><p> </p><p>Talia nodded. “It can be a side effect of your wolf settling down in a new environment, without pack.”</p><p> </p><p>That sounded logical. But still, something felt amiss. He didn’t tell his mother though.</p><p> </p><p>“But, apart from that I’m fine, I’m glad I get to go to college,” Derek smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’m happy you’re happy,” she smiled, ruffling his hair.</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>It was Wednesday at his History of Architecture class, that Stiles barged inside the classroom and plopped down next to him. The young professor didn’t even comment, he just sighed softly and went further.</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked up at Stiles. “Hi,” he greeted, before focussing on his notes again.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles smiled and put his head in his hand, staring at Derek. After a while, Derek glanced back, but Stiles just kept looking at him – without shame.</p><p> </p><p>Derek gulped and tried to focus on professor Carmichael. But he couldn’t.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was tickling his senses. He was provoking Derek’s wolf.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop it,” Derek suddenly whisper shouted.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just grinned. “Stop what?”</p><p> </p><p>“Stop staring at me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, I was just blinded by your beauty,” he answered.</p><p> </p><p>Derek stirred, pushing his glasses a little higher.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Derek?”</p><p> </p><p>He peeked at Stiles, to indicate that he was listening.</p><p> </p><p>“If you were a Transformer, you’d be Optimus Fine,” he grinned.</p><p> </p><p>Derek could feel all his blood rush to his face. What the actual fuck was happening right now?</p><p> </p><p>He just swallowed the lump in his throat and ignored Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>“So, tell me, do you believe in love at first sight?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned at his notebook. Was that an honest—</p><p> </p><p>“Or should I walk by again?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek actually couldn’t stop the snort that left his mouth at those words. Stiles was ridiculous.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, another one,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>Then, when Derek finally looked up, he saw Stiles was seriously reading the pickup lines from his phone.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you have a BandAid? I just scraped my knees falling for you– what, <em>no</em>,” he snorted, interrupting himself. “That sounds like I’m in position to give you a blowjob,” he said, laughing softly.</p><p> </p><p>Derek bit his lip. <em>Don’t. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>“Oh, this one is even worse—”</p><p> </p><p>“Stop,” Derek mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Stiles asked, looking up. His face was so innocent, like he was not trying to make Derek uncomfortable or worse… <em>aroused. </em></p><p> </p><p>“I asked, if you could, uh, maybe stop for a moment, I’m trying to follow the class,” he mumbled quickly, not even looking at him. Derek knew he couldn’t.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Stiles answered. “Yeah, sure.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek felt his throat tighten up. Stiles was hurt by that comment. He didn’t have to look at the boy to know that, he could smell it.</p><p> </p><p>There was this smell of uncertainty and nervousness.</p><p> </p><p>Then, suddenly, Stiles stood up, leaving.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles, I’m sorry, I didn’t—”</p><p> </p><p>But it was already too late. He was gone.</p><p> </p><p>Derek quickly went over what he had said. He didn’t mean to hurt Stiles <em>and</em> he had tried his best to formulate it as nicely as possible.</p><p> </p><p>With a small groan Derek wrote further in his notebook, listening to the remainder of the lecture about baroque.</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>“Has any of you seen Stiles today?” Erica asked, plopping down next to Boyd as per usual.</p><p> </p><p>The other all gave negative answers.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, I did,” Derek almost squeaked. He was feeling so, <em>so</em> guilty.</p><p> </p><p>Erica frowned. “What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“I– I didn’t mean to be mean or hurt him, I just asked if he could stop for a moment because I needed to take notes and he just got really sad and went away, and I mean, I didn’t, I just — I didn’t meant for that to happen,” Derek rambled nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“What did you say to him?” Erica clarified.</p><p> </p><p>“I just asked if he could stop talking for a moment,” Derek answered guiltily.</p><p> </p><p>Erica winced. “It’s not your fault.”</p><p> </p><p>Lydia shook her head. “Really, it isn’t, so don’t beat yourself up about it.” She stood up, told them she was going to look for him, before disappearing towards the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>“He’ll be alright,” Isaac decided. Allison nodded affirmatively. Boyd just stayed quiet.</p><p> </p><p>“What did I—”</p><p> </p><p>“Look, Der, it’s just, today is not one of Stiles’ favorite days,” Erica explained vaguely.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” Derek asked.</p><p> </p><p>She licked her lips, before shaking her head. “It’s for him to tell you, but I think he went to you for some company, you know, to not be sad, and what you said, it kind of rubbed him the wrong way, even though we all know you didn’t mean it like that.”</p><p> </p><p>Allison sighed. “It’s honestly not you fault, Derek, Stiles is just bad at… dealing with some situations.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded, but he couldn’t shake the feeling.</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>In the following days he noticed Stiles was evading him. Or, at least it felt that way.</p><p> </p><p>Derek had thought about the situation a lot. He had reflected on it. This was the reason he was not good with pointing out his borders, but then again he knew normally Stiles would not have minded. Also, Derek couldn’t have known that Stiles was not feeling okay.</p><p> </p><p>Sure, there had always been this kind of smell coming from him. It was like rainy forests. And it smelt sad. But, Derek had smelled that on Stiles from the beginning.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, his mind flashed back to weeks ago, during the full moon. How Stiles had been near the Hale property in the middle of the night, not afraid at all as he listened to the sounds of the night — including howling Hale wolves.</p><p> </p><p>Still, after feeling miserable himself and then reasoning with his mind, he decided to text Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Derek Hale:</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Hello Stiles, I am sorry for hurting you. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The response came mere minutes later. It were anxious minutes, nevertheless.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Stiles Stilinski:</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Derekkkk</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Why are you talking like a robot?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Have you ever watched brooklyn 99?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>If you have, you’re captain holt</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>And hurting me? Lol when? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Derek Hale:</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>I have not watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine, so I have no idea about your reference. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I am talking about Wednesday, when I told you to stop talking. I honestly meant no disrespect or to hurt you or something else. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I am just not really good at that. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>This time it took Stiles a moment to text back. Had Derek said too much? Was he too heavy?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Stiles Stilinski:</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>At what?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Derek didn’t know what to answer.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Stiles Stilinski:</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>At making friends? Because no, we’re already friends</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Just laugh at our bad jokes and tell us if something is bothering you</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>And I was </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Bothering you I mean</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I’m not angry at you or smth</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Derek Hale:</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>You weren’t bothering me, I was just trying to focus on class for a moment. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Derek didn’t add that picturing Stiles on his knees had crossed his mind and he didn’t want the others to see something inhumane, like golden eyes, or fangs.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Stiles Stilinski:</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Lol sure whatever u say big guy</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Derek put his phone away. A small smile formed on his face. <em>He</em> had actually texted Stiles. <em>And</em> he had cleared up the tension he had felt.</p><p> </p><p>Derek let out a small sigh, grinning at himself in the darkness of his room. At least now he could sleep without the guilt eating at him.</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>When Derek got out of his house the next morning, to go to school, a recognizable blue jeep was standing there. He frowned.</p><p> </p><p>Then, when he looked better he saw Stiles was bobbing his head to the music, behind the wheel. The jeep’s motor, meanwhile, was turning, warming up the car.</p><p> </p><p>Derek walked towards him and tapped on the window, scaring Stiles, who immediately calmed down once he saw it was just Derek.</p><p> </p><p>“Morning, sunshine!” he greeted, once he had gotten the window down.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, hey?” Derek said, trying to stop himself from blushing at the nickname. “What are you doing here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Picking you up,” Stiles answered, stating the obvious.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, uh, why?” Derek scratched the back of his head awkwardly.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean why? I know, I know, you like walking, but I thought it’d be nice to go to school together, and I am <em>not</em> fond of walking,” Stiles grinned, throwing open the door for Derek. “So, get in, miss Bennet.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek snorted and placed himself beside Stiles, who raced off, as soon as Derek had closed the door.</p><p> </p><p>“Long day, today?” Stiles asked, humming to the music on his radio.</p><p> </p><p>Derek shook his head, noticing that Stiles’ radio was old school; it got an opening for tapes. “No, I don’t, besides I have design with Lydia, which is fun.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles nodded. “Cool, maybe I’ll drop by.” He peeked over to Derek, “If you’re okay with that, of course.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded, before he even thought about it, which made him frown at himself. But then again, why did Stiles have to get permission from Derek to join a class? It was not his class or something.</p><p> </p><p>“Cool,” Stiles murmured, focusing on the road and turning up the radio when the same song as last time started. This time Derek paid more attention to the lyrics, trying to understand why Stiles liked it so much.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>For every one of us, there’s an army of them, but you’ll never fight alone. ‘Cause I wanted you to know that the world is ugly, but you’re beautiful to me.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Derek looked back at Stiles, who was silently murmuring the words along. It was so soft, he had to use his werewolf hearing.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles turned his face a little to catch Derek’s eyes, singing, “Well are you thinking of me now?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek anxiously pushed his glasses higher, staring out of the window. When the song ended, Stiles finally spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>“Your glasses,” he said. “They’re fake right?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek swallowed. “Why do you think that?” he evaded the answer to the question.</p><p> </p><p>“The glasses, they’re not on prescription, there’s a difference,” Stiles answered, taking a turn on the road. “So, why do you wear them?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shrugged. “I like them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Makes sense,” Stiles laughed.</p><p> </p><p>Derek knew the boy would make a fine FBI agent, he had even noticed Derek’s glasses were fake. How was that even possible?</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>Derek sat in between Stiles and Lydia during their class later that day. Mrs. Martin sometimes looked at the threesome as if they were out of order. Maybe they were. Derek had not been a part of the group of friends for as long as the others had, but still he was the one in the middle, not Lydia like last time.</p><p> </p><p>“How did you fix that?” Lydia asked, pointing at one of Derek’s better sketches.</p><p> </p><p>He gave her a frustrated smile. “You have no idea how long I’ve been working on this.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles laughed besides them, tapping away on his phone. He had been, for the past ten minutes. “Derek, have you ever eaten enchiladas?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek turned around, nodding. “Yeah, my grandmother’s, she’s Mexican,” he quickly explained.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Stiles answered a little bummed. “Wait, you’re Mexican?” The question had been a little too loud, catching the attention of some other students.</p><p> </p><p>“Just a quarter,” Derek mumbled, feeling hot with all the attention on him.</p><p> </p><p>“Cool, cool,” Stiles commented.</p><p> </p><p>Derek rolled his eyes, before he could stop himself. It was just, Stiles thought everything was cool. Literally.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles mock gasped at his eye-roll, before talking again. “Still, there’s this restaurant that has,” he made a chef’s kiss, “food.”</p><p> </p><p>Both Derek and Lydia laughed at his – probable – exaggeration. Derek could hear Mrs. Martin end her lecture in the background.</p><p> </p><p>“So,  tonight at seven. I’ll come pick you up,” Stiles said, grabbing his bag and walking away.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just sat there for a moment. Wait, what? Quickly he turned to see where Stiles was, but he was gone. Lydia was still sitting next to him. “Did he– did he just ask me out on a date?” he asked a little flustered.</p><p> </p><p>Lydia snorted. “It was more of a statement, honestly.”</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>Derek was on the verge of crying. He had nothing to wear. He did not know if Stiles was serious. He did not know if it was a date. He did not know what kind of restaurant it would be. He ended up almost suffocating himself with his tie.</p><p> </p><p>“What is that smell?” he could hear his uncle say, just outside his door. A moment later it banged open. “Derek, you little rascal, why do you smell like that?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked at his uncle Enzo, but couldn’t answer.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously,” his uncle laughed. “I’m gone for a month and I hear you’ve enrolled into college, an actual college, and now you’re dressed to…” he trailed off, looking at his nephew. “Go to a wedding?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know where I’m going, or what it is, or what I have to wear. Why am I even stressing? What is wrong with me?” Derek rambled, trying to loosen his tie.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you going with some friends?” Uncle Enzo asked, getting closer, to help Derek loosen his tie.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “Yeah, with, um this boy, from school,” he answered nervously, pushing his glasses higher.</p><p> </p><p>Uncle Enzo’s eyes started to shine. “A boy, hm?” he commented, taking the tie off entirely. “A boy like Jake or a boy like Freddie?”</p><p> </p><p>Enzo was a few years older than Peter and married to Jake. Freddie was his best friend. So, Derek immediately understood the question. Was Stiles Derek’s Jake or Derek’s Freddie?</p><p> </p><p>The silence that fell, while Derek stressed out even more, made Uncle Enzo a little concerned. “It’s fine if you don’t know yet,” he answered. “We’ll talk about it later. Tell me now, what are you going to do with him?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re going to eat enchiladas,” Derek murmured to the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, look at me,” his uncle demanded. “Do you want to go?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek immediately nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, good, then we really have to change your clothes, because this,” he motioned at what Derek was wearing, grimacing. “Well, just…” His uncle opened his closet, taking a look. “Jesus,” he muttered. “We need to update this as soon as possible.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek felt himself burning up.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, okay, this,” his uncle grabbed a plain, black Henley and grey, faded jeans. “And, you have to wear the beanie, the one Jake bought you for your birthday.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek grabbed it from his drawer. “This one?”</p><p> </p><p>Uncle Enzo whistled, nodding. “Take your glasses off, it matches so good with your eyes.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek changed his clothes quickly, taking off his glasses and putting on the beanie. It was getting colder and colder outside, the winter was already nearing.</p><p> </p><p>“And?” Derek asked, most probably reeking of nervousness.</p><p> </p><p>His uncle grinned at him. “Gorgeous, he’ll want to get in your pants.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek blushed, hiding his head in his hands.</p><p> </p><p>“Kidding, just have fun.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek grabbed his leather jacket and went downstairs with his uncle, which was a huge mistake.</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you going?”</p><p> </p><p>“Derek, why do you look like that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hashtag Model Derek.”</p><p> </p><p>“I want to go with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Derek?”</p><p> </p><p>“Auntie, Derek has a date!”</p><p> </p><p>The room went silent, and Derek knew why. The jeep drove to their house, Stiles’ scent getting stronger and stronger.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you have a date, Der, honey?” Aunt Lilly asked.</p><p> </p><p>“With Stiles?” Peter teased.</p><p> </p><p>“I, no,” Derek answered.</p><p> </p><p>He could hear his own heart skip a beat. “I’m not lying, honestly. I don’t know, we’re just going to eat.”</p><p> </p><p>It still stayed silent.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t look at me like that,” he groaned, going to the door as he heard Stiles close the door of his jeep and walk up to the door. He was two minutes early.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles knocked on the door and Derek opened it. “Hi, we’re going,” he said, tugging on Stiles’ sleeve.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, oh, uh, woah.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Derek Samuel Hale</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Oh, no.</p><p> </p><p>“Run,” Derek said, tugging Stiles along to the jeep. “We are <em>not</em> doing this again, I’ll suffer the consequences later, alone.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles laughed and let him be manhandled into the jeep.</p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, just blurt the first thing that comes to mind,” Stiles grinned half an hour later, as they were sipping from their drinks and waiting for their food.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Derek nodded, a little unsure of himself, but trying to sound confident.</p><p> </p><p>“Favorite color?”</p><p> </p><p>“Green,” he answered immediately. Ah, okay, he got this.</p><p> </p><p>“Your birthday?” Stiles asked next.</p><p> </p><p>“December 24<sup>th</sup>.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Christmas child, that’s cool,” Stiles commented. Of course he thought it was <em>cool</em> again. “Dream vacation?”</p><p> </p><p>“Remote island,” Derek answered, before he could stop himself. But Stiles didn’t laugh at him, quite the opposite, he was intrigued.</p><p> </p><p>“How come?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shrugged. “Don’t know, I just, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be at such an abandoned part of the world, everything to yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm,” Stiles mumbled, thinking about it. “Yeah, I think I understand where you’re coming from. Okay, next, um, what do you hate?”</p><p> </p><p>“Dogs,” Derek almost scoffed.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles let out a loud laugh. “I can imagine, yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned at his answer. “What? Why?” He had not meant to say that out loud. The answer was just ripped from his chest.</p><p> </p><p>Dogs, though, he had hated them ever since he had fought one when he was little. You see, wolves and dogs have never liked each other. Even if people would think otherwise. The damned creatures always think they own the world.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles got saved by the woman that brought them their food.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, mama McCall,” he grinned.</p><p> </p><p>The middle-aged woman grinned, rolling her eyes adoringly. “When they’re done renovating the house, you have to eat with me again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, how’s Scott?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek zoned out for a moment, hearing something a few tables down.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s Stiles Stilinski,” a girl whispered to the girl that was sitting in front of her. She tried to be discreet with her nod towards their table, but it looked rather like she was trying to break her neck.</p><p> </p><p>“Sheriff Stilinski’s son?” the brunette asked, intrigued.</p><p> </p><p>Now Derek was curious.</p><p> </p><p>After the blonde one nodded, the brunette opened her mouth again. “Jesus, he got hot, I haven’t seen him around for a while.”</p><p> </p><p>“Rumor has it he went to a psych ward, after his mom, you know,” the blonde said back.</p><p> </p><p>“Bullshit,” the brunette immediately said. “His mom—”</p><p> </p><p>“Derek?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek inhaled sharply, as if being woken up, and looked at Stiles. He cocked his head. “You okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded immediately. “Yeah, yeah I am, sorry, I was just, uh, thinking about something.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles smiled. “Yeah, that’s fine, just checking.” He took a bite of his food, and let out a few inappropriate sounds. “God, Melissa’s food is <em>amazing</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek took a bite too, and he had to say it was good. Not as good as his grandmother’s of course, but good nevertheless.</p><p> </p><p>“The woman I just spoke to, she’s actually a nurse and a friend’s mother, but she got Pablo’s kitchen for an hour to fix our food,” Stiles explained enthusiastically. “She’s a sweetheart.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek smiled, but couldn’t shake the conversation of the girls. Then, because he’s an idiot, who seemed to have lost his filter around Stiles, he asked, “Is this a date?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles stopped his food mid-motion, inspecting Derek’s face. Then he answered, “I’m not really into labels. If you want this to be a date, then it’s a date; if you don’t, then we’re just two people getting to know each other over dinner,” he shrugged. He continued eating.</p><p> </p><p>Once more he had spoken in a unfazed way, as if he had known Derek was going to ask that. Meanwhile, Derek didn’t know himself and he was in fact <em>freaking out. </em></p><p> </p><p>Stiles ate further, until he noticed Derek had turned into a statue, shouting at himself in his head. Because honestly, what the actually fuck was wrong with him?</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, you don’t like it?” Stiles asked, motioning at Derek’s own enchiladas.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I do, I do,” he said, quickly continuing with eating.</p><p> </p><p>It stayed silent for a moment, and when Derek looked up to see why Stiles was so silent, he was looking at him.</p><p> </p><p>“W-what?” Derek mumbled, feeling self-conscious.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just smiled. “Nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then why are you looking like that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell me something not many people know,” he changed the subject.</p><p> </p><p>Derek had many secrets, many things people outside his pack did not know. But he couldn’t tell Stiles. He was not stupid, and he knew he could only go to college, because his family trusted him.</p><p> </p><p>“I like midnight walks,” Derek just answered.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles snorted. “Woah, ho, I could’ve never imagined,” he said sarcastically. “Come on, something deep.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek pursed his lips.</p><p> </p><p>“Like, for example,” Stiles started, after taking a sip of his drink. “If I miss my mom, I have this place where I go, because we used to do picnics there when I was little.” Then, as if he just realised, he added, “It’s actually pretty near your family’s property.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. He knew exactly what spot Stiles was talking about, and if Derek didn’t know any better, he would say Stiles knew that Derek knew. The look in his eyes was waiting for something…</p><p> </p><p>“I um, I love babies,” he then blurted.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles laughed. “Really?” He seemed really intrigued.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “My uncles, they adopted a baby last month.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your uncles?” Stiles asked, his eyes shining.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, yeah, my mother’s little brother is gay,” Derek shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, that is goals.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek tried to suppress his smile, but he couldn’t.</p><p> </p><p>“I mean, how awesome is that, okay I love that,” Stiles concluded, stopping another of his rant sessions.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re crazy,” Derek laughed to his food.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Stiles mumbled. </p><p> </p><p>• • • • •</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, look that is Polaris,” Stiles said, pointing to a star. “It’s also called the North Star, that’s how sailors found their way back home.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek listened, in awe, totally abandoning his ice cream.</p><p> </p><p>“And if you look there, you can’t see it completely, but that is supposed to be Canis Major, the big dog,” Stiles grinned. “And that bright one over there is Sirius.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s so… How do you know all this?” Derek asked, finally licking his ice cream - it was melting.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles turned to him, shrugging. “I’ve always been interested in the universe, I followed this class about the stars. We also have lots of books about them at home – <em>hey</em>, if you want I can show them to you,” he offered.</p><p> </p><p>Derek smiled. “I’d love to, but I have to get home.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grabbed his phone, to see the time. “Oh, <em>Jesus</em>, time flies. Come on, let’s get you home.”</p><p> </p><p>On the way back, Stiles talked some more about the stars, and how they thanked most of them to the Arabs. He even recited a few Arabic – original – names. It was lovely to see how invested he was in it.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, last one,” Stiles laughed. “If you look really close, you can see Orion over there.” He followed a few of the stars, marking what had to be Orion. “Have you ever read the Odyssey?”</p><p> </p><p>“I haven’t read it, but I do know its history,” Derek commented. He had always been intrigued by mythology, hence the extra class he followed.</p><p> </p><p>“So, you have Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, the moon, stuff like that, and you have Orion, an awesome hunter from Thebes,” Stiles started his lecture. “They fell in love, but Apollo, Artemis brother, did not approve of their love. He send this enormous scorpion to kill Orion, but he jumped into the water and swam away. Then Apollo told his sister there was a man in the water, that had raped one of her nymphs. He then betted her that she could not kill him from where they were standing, you see Artemis always had her bow and arrows with her, so she took him up on his bet and shot the love of her life. When she found out what had happened, she or Zeus, it’s not known, but let’s just say Artemis, for the sake of romance, put him in the sky. So, Orion would be immortal and she’d be able to look at him every night. After Orion she never fell in love again.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek stayed silent, not knowing what to say.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles laughed. “Well, that’s one way to end a beautiful evening, sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shook his head. “No, no, not all, don’t be,” he said back. “It was a nice story to hear, I’ve never heard it before. But thank you for sharing.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome,” Stiles smiled. “Remember Sirius? The bright one I showed you back in the park.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, that was Orion’s favorite hound.”</p><p> </p><p>“How do you remember all of this? That head of yours is so full of information,” Derek commented, still in awe.</p><p> </p><p>They looked at each other for a moment, before Stiles parked the jeep in front of Derek’s house. He had not even noticed they were already on Hale property.</p><p> </p><p>“I had fun tonight,” Stiles said. “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you for inviting me,” Derek said back.</p><p> </p><p>It stayed silent for a moment, as they only looked at each other.</p><p> </p><p>“Are they kissing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Move I want to see.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, they’re so cute together.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are they still kissing?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek cleared his throat, looking away. Of course, leave it to his family to ruin a good moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Anyways, thanks for the drive, I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that Derek left the car and walked to the house.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles waited until Derek was inside, to drive off.</p><p> </p><p>“Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath, as everyone was acting like they hadn’t been pressing themselves against the window just mere seconds ago.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for the kind messages! Let me know what you think about the story so far :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Officiality and Doubts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, thank you all for the sweet comments, I really appreciate it! :) I hope you like this chapter as well x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey you,” Stiles greeted, bumping his shoulder against Derek’s.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi,” Derek said back, pushing his glasses up.</p><p> </p><p>“Where you going?”</p><p> </p><p>“Canteen, Erica told me to come as soon as possible,” Derek answered, grabbing the straps of his backpack nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I think it’s <em>that</em> time of the year again,” Stiles sighed.</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned and wanted to ask what time he was talking about, but Stiles hushed him, before putting his arm around his shoulder and steering them to the canteen. Derek’s eyes grew and he could feel the hairs in his neck, where Stiles touched them, stand up. Stiles was just walking, opening the doors and placing them at the table with the others.</p><p> </p><p>Derek didn’t breath, until Stiles took his arm off of him. The others eyed the motion, but didn’t say anything about it. As if it was normal. As if that was not a legitimate reason for Derek to completely flip out. Internally, of course. Because on the outside, he acted like nothing was going on.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, Derek, it’s November, which means it’s time for the beginning of Secret Santa,” Erica said, drumming on the table.</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned slightly. “Secret Santa?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just a fun name of giving each other a present,” Stiles said, swallowing his sandwich. “We all put our name on a piece of paper, grab another piece of paper, and the name you have picked is the one you have to give a Christmas present to.” His tone was almost… bored.</p><p> </p><p>Erica growled playfully. “I hate you, Stilinski.”</p><p> </p><p>“Love you too, Reyes,” he said back, blowing her a kiss.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles is not a fan of Christmas,” Erica murmured. Derek could smell she was a little sad.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well, let’s get this over with,” Stiles said, before Derek could ask what it was about, or Erica could explain further.</p><p> </p><p>They all wrote their name on a piece of paper and put it in Isaac’s woolen cap. Derek just followed the others and grabbed a piece of paper. They had to do it again, because Allison had grabbed herself. Derek decided if he would grab himself, he’d just give himself a present. It didn’t get that far, though, because he grabbed Stiles’s name the second time.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Oh, Lord.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>He had until the 26<sup>th</sup> of December to think of a present worthy of Stiles, but he could not think clearly. Stiles had touched his neck and he could not shake off the scent it had left. It was like Derek’s and Stiles’s had mixed. <em>And it smelled insane</em>, like nothing he had ever encountered.</p><p> </p><p>It also made sleeping at night very difficult, because the scent and the touch did <em>things</em> to his body. Derek had been homeschooled, but he was not stupid. He was crushing on Stiles and he had to stop it. He didn’t want to get his heart broken; Stiles was human, and Derek a werewolf. With other words: it was <em>never</em> going to happen.</p><p> </p><p>But he could…</p><p> </p><p>His hand slowly crept under the duvet, into his pants, into his underwear.</p><p> </p><p>… just help himself out, right? There was nothing wrong with that.</p><p> </p><p>Derek let his thumb go over the head of his half hard manhood. He let out a small, content sigh. He had done this just a few times before, when he was going through puberty. The fact that others in his family could smell it had bothered him for years. It still did, but now, with the scent in his nose of him and Stiles together…</p><p> </p><p>It just let his imagination fly, thinking about how they would smell after <em>actual</em> sex. His fangs popped out of his gums, just at the thought of it. Derek had to calm down, before he was going to wake up his uncle Peter. Quickly he pulled his hand out of his pants and gulped.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Another time. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>In reality it took Derek hours to calm down and finally fall asleep. He had to remind himself that having sex with Stiles was off limits. He had to remind himself that Stiles was human. He had to remind himself that it could never happen. Those were a few of the mantras he kept repeating in his head.</p><p> </p><p>The next day Erica was whining that she had picked Lydia for Secret Santa and didn’t know what to buy her. Derek had sighed deeply, when she had told him who she had drawn – defying the whole purpose of being a <em>secret</em> Santa Claus. Then he had told her about a book that she might be interested in. During the design classes, Lydia and Derek had shared a fair amount of talk about actual designs. The book should help with the things Lydia was struggling with – according to herself, Derek thought she did a wonderful job.</p><p> </p><p>Shit hit the fan during lunch, though.</p><p> </p><p>They were sitting outside, because for once there was a little sun in this late autumn. Derek smelled Stiles earlier than that he saw him, the boy seemed to be in a hurry, as he crossed campus to sit next to Lydia.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles, are you serious?” she demanded, pursing her lips.</p><p> </p><p>Derek didn’t understand; Stiles had not even said anything yet.</p><p> </p><p>“Again? All night?” the strawberry blonde followed – Derek had learned his lesson, after he had dared to call Lydia a redhead and Stiles went on for half an hour about the different colors in the spectrum.</p><p> </p><p>Derek could barely focus on their conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t even shower, did you?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shook his head frantically.</p><p> </p><p>So, <em>that</em> was the reason Derek wanted nothing more than to tackle Stiles on the grass field and push his own head in Stiles’s neck.</p><p> </p><p>Derek quickly mumbled an excuse and disappeared into the school. He was not going to survive this. Never, <em>ever</em>, before had he encountered trouble regarding his self-control. What was he doing to himself?</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Derek started to avoid Stiles after that. Whenever Stiles joined them for lunch, he excused himself to go to the toilet – never to come back – or he suddenly had an appointment with a professor. Once, he had even sacrificed his peace and had called Peter, just to excuse himself from the table.</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t seem to notice, except for Stiles. But it didn’t matter, because Derek was good at avoiding him. Until November 18<sup>th</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>Derek had been in de library for quite some time, his classes had been over for the day equally as long. He was just doing some research for his paper on the history of architecture, when he suddenly noticed it was already dark outside. Which meant he should get home, if he wanted to make dinner in time. Or face his family’s wrath.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly, Derek put all his stuff in his bag and walked towards the exit of the building. He was proud of the work he had pulled off. His research was going to be awesome.</p><p> </p><p>Derek had <em>not</em> expected anyone to be there, but he got slammed against the wall.</p><p> </p><p>Shocked he looked right into Stiles’s face – he looked angry, but he smelled hurt. Derek licked his bottom lip, looking at Stiles’s fists in Derek’s sweater. “Uh, hello?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, hello?” Stiles mocked. “What is wrong with you?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek raised his eyebrows at him. “You know you’re the one that is abusing me, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles clenched his jaw, his grip getting even tighter. “Why are you avoiding me?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek cocked his head. “Avoiding you?” he repeated.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles pushed him harder against the wall, Derek just let him. But, when Stiles looked up, they both noticed how close they were to each other. And how empty the hallway was.</p><p> </p><p>Derek breathed in sharply, following Stiles tongue, that licked his lips.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, fuck it,” Derek whispered, before switching their positions. He pushed Stiles against the wall and grabbed his face to pull him into a kiss.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles immediately reacted, kissing him back, as his hands trailed over Derek’s body, eventually ending on his ass. A small whimper left Derek’s mouth, as Stiles pressed their hips together.</p><p> </p><p>Only when Derek was scared one of them would faint, because of the lack of oxygen, he pulled away. They were both panting and Derek wanted nothing more than to bolt. But he didn’t, and he was freaking proud of himself about that. “I, I’m sorry,” he mumbled instead.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shook his head, grabbing Derek’s shoulders an kissing him again. “Don’t be,” he breathed against his lips. ”Don’t be.”</p><p> </p><p>“We should probably stop,” Derek murmured, in between kisses, pressing his whole body against Stiles’s.</p><p> </p><p>“Or we can go back to my place and I can finally fuck you,” Stiles murmured, pressing a kiss behind his ear.</p><p> </p><p>Derek had to stop himself from flashing his eyes at Stiles. “God, <em>yes</em>, but no.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grinned. “It’s okay, we can take it easy,” he said, pressing another kiss on his lips, and on his cheek, and on his forehead.</p><p> </p><p>Derek let out a shuddering breath. He had to create some distance between them, before he would give away a secret that wasn’t his to give.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me drive you home,” Stiles finally said, after Derek did a few steps back.</p><p> </p><p>Derek eyed him.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll just drive you home,” he said, holding his hands up and smirking. Honest to God, smirking, like he had won the lottery.</p><p> </p><p>Derek thought he was going to jump on Stiles every and any second of the road. They were both painfully aroused. Derek had to endure the small sounds and scents that came from Stiles, which normal humans wouldn’t notice. It was just <em>so</em> much. Too much.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, he did nothing, so did Stiles. The drive was silent, apart from the soft songs on the radio, and slightly awkward. When Stiles stopped in front of his house, Derek mumbled a quick bye, before getting out of the car, and into the house.</p><p> </p><p>There was just one problem. His family. They were wolves. Wolves had an amazing nose. And Derek was already the new star of the pack, since he demanded to go to college.</p><p> </p><p>So, he used werewolf speed once he was inside, but apparently they had already suspected it.</p><p> </p><p>Peter slammed Derek to the wall – <em>second fucking time today </em>– and crowded him with Cora, Laura, Darius and Dylan.</p><p> </p><p>“So, tell us, nephew, how come you smell like Stilinski?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek just growled, bearing his fangs. Peter just flashed his eyes back, as his nephews and nieces were watching.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you guys for real, let me go,” Derek demanded, kicking Peter’s shin. He didn’t budge. “What the fuck?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re just curious,” Cora said. “Did you guys kiss?” she asked, sniffing.</p><p> </p><p>“Dog,” Derek spat back.</p><p> </p><p>“Damn,” Darius grinned. “DerDer learned some new words at college.” Dylan, his little brother, laughed, as they high-fived.</p><p> </p><p>“Let me go,” Derek demanded again. “I’m fucking serious.”</p><p> </p><p>Peter looked into his eyes, and frowned when he saw he was indeed serious. Then he let him go.</p><p> </p><p>“I hate you, not one day goes by that you just fucking let me be!” he yelled.</p><p> </p><p>When he heard some adults – or well, adultier adults, since they were all adults – walk to the hall, he ran up the stairs and into his room. Once there, he pushed their closet in front of the door. He wouldn’t get out. And no one would get in.</p><p> </p><p>He just needed space. And peace. And a fucking solution for what to do with Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Barely fifteen minutes later, Talia strode inside, like pushing the door barricaded by a closet open was nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“Leave me alone,” Derek said, without turning around. He was sitting in front of the window, looking out at the woods.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve spoken to the others, they meant well,” his mother started.</p><p> </p><p>Derek could smell his father had joined them. Yeah, sure. Let’s make it a family fest again.</p><p> </p><p>“Son,” his father started, putting his hand on Derek’s shoulder – who still sat with his back towards them. Derek had to clench his jaw, not to flinch away from the touch.</p><p> </p><p>He breathed in and out, before turning around.</p><p> </p><p>“I have talked to Peter and the others, they will not bother you anymore,” his mother said. “But, we’re worried about you, Derek.”</p><p> </p><p>“I told you, don’t be,” Derek said back.</p><p> </p><p>“You know that is not something you can switch off, just like that, we cannot ignore how you feel, or any of the pack in fact,” his father said back. They both sat down in front of Derek on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“You like Stiles,” his mother stated.</p><p> </p><p>“Why is that anyone’s business?” Derek lashed out, biting back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. They were tears of frustration.</p><p> </p><p>“You know why,” Eric said. “This is exactly why I didn’t want you to go to college, it’s dangerous.”</p><p> </p><p>“Does Stiles <em>know</em>?” Talia asked, before Derek could get angry at his father. She put a hand on her husband’s arm, to hush him in the meantime.</p><p> </p><p>Derek knew she meant about their supernatural side, and not the fact that he had a crush on him – or was it more than a crush?</p><p> </p><p>Derek shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “And he won’t.”</p><p> </p><p>Talia nodded. “You should think about disenrolling.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shook his head. “I won’t. If you just let me be, everything will be fine, but you all are the reason my life is…” He trailed off, just motioning with his hands. He was tired of this.</p><p> </p><p>Of everything actually. He couldn’t even keep some things to himself and now his family wanted him to ditch college? The one thing he had fought for in his life. Ever.</p><p> </p><p>He sighed. “I’m going to bed.”</p><p> </p><p>His parents heard the dismissal in his voice and stood up as well. Eric left the room immediately, Talia stayed behind.</p><p> </p><p>“Bunny, I trust you, you know that right?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “I know, mom.”</p><p> </p><p>“I just want what’s best for you and not everyone there is like us, and I’m not talking about that they are human, <em>everything</em> is different, Derek,” she went further.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just kept nodding, hearing what his mother said and understanding it too. He walked towards her and she hugged him closely.</p><p> </p><p>“Get some sleep,” she whispered, kissing his hair, before walking downstairs. He could hear his family prepare the table for dinner.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Derek woke up a few hours later, as Peter put their closet back and prepared himself for bed. He turned around, however, probably sensing Derek was awake.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” he whispered into the dark.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine,” Derek mumbled back, wanting to turn around to sleep again.</p><p> </p><p>“Not just about waking you,” his uncle went further. “I shouldn’t have done that when you came home.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine,” Derek said again. He had calmed down. It had just all been too much, for a few months now. That was the reason he had reacted so badly on his family. “I’m sorry too.”</p><p> </p><p>Peter grinned, getting closer to Derek’s bed. “You know, we were shocked, you never screamed at us before.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek laughed. “I hate you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you do.” Peter pulled up the duvet. “Shoo.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek rolled his eyes. “We’re not little boys anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>Peter didn’t hear his protest.</p><p> </p><p>“At least get you own pillow.”</p><p> </p><p>Minutes later they were laying in Derek’s bed, looking at the ceiling.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you like him?” Peter suddenly asked. “Stiles, I mean.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek hummed. “I don’t know,” he mumbled shyly. “We kissed.”</p><p> </p><p>“How was that?” his uncle asked.</p><p> </p><p>Derek shrugged nonchalantly, but could feel his cheeks warm up. “I think I do, but I don’t want to.” The confession was heavy in the silent, dark air.</p><p> </p><p>Peter sighed. “But you still want to be in college, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then we need to figure some things out,” Peter decided. Before Derek could protest he followed, “Just you and I. I’ll make sure no one bothers you about Stiles anymore, aside from the occasional tease. What else are we supposed to do?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek kicked him softly and Peter growled back.</p><p> </p><p>“Remember when we used to be best buds?” Peter sighed.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “Then you turned into an ass,” he whispered back, stifling a yawn.</p><p> </p><p>“Did I turn into one?” Peter challenged, ridiculing himself.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just snorted.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s sleep,” Peter announced. Derek just nodded, before he dozed off again.</p><p> </p><p>The next morning Stiles was waiting in his jeep in front of the Hale house again. Derek fought against the smile that crept up his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi,” he breathed, as he sat down next to Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just pulled Derek closer, kissing him. Their lips opened, their tongues exploring. Derek just followed Stiles’s lead. With an obnoxious sound, Stiles pulled back, starting the car.</p><p> </p><p>“Morning,” he grinned. “Sleep well?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded, watching out of the window as Stiles drove towards school.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s go to my place after college,” Stiles proposed.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded again.</p><p> </p><p>“A verbal answer would be nice,” Stiles laughed, drumming his finger on the wheel.</p><p> </p><p>Derek bit his lip, his cheeks reddening. “Sorry, I just – uh, yes, I’d like to come.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles pressed his lips on each other, as if to stop himself from bursting out in laughter.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Derek asked, oblivious to what Stiles was laughing about again. He just knew it was something Derek had done or said again.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shook his head dismissing. “You like sushi?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, I’ve never tasted it before,” Derek answered.</p><p> </p><p>“What? Why?” Stiles asked outraged.</p><p> </p><p>“Not everyone in my family appreciates raw food, and we always eat together, so…”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles hummed. “Understood, so you’ll taste it today and if you don’t like it, we’ll order pizza, sounds good?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a plan,” Derek smiled, ignoring the playful hand Stiles placed on his thigh. It was just laying there, but still… He gulped and smiled back when Stiles offered him a smile.</p><p> </p><p>They parted at school, and a few hours later reconciled. It had felt like the school day would never end, and Derek was as anxious as they came during all of it.  </p><p> </p><p>He was scared Stiles would kiss him again. But, if he was honest with himself, he was more scared he wouldn’t.</p><p> </p><p>So, far for not wanting to like him...</p><p> </p><p>Were they in a relationship now? He didn’t dare to ask. Derek remembered what Stiles had said when he asked if they were on a date.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I’m not really into labels. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>But now they had kissed. That was different. That wasn’t just two people who were getting know each other anymore. Right?</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was Derek’s Jake, and not his Freddie.</p><p> </p><p>How had that changed so quickly?</p><p> </p><p>“How was your day?” Stiles asked, as they drove towards his house.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, good.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mine was good too, thanks, I had to give a presentation about in what ways it’s easier to find criminals nowadays, and in what ways not, I was awesome, dude,” Stiles grinned. He started to drum on his wheel again.</p><p> </p><p>Derek noticed Stiles was not one to sit in silence. Whenever it was too silent for him he started to move, or talk, or make sounds. Derek smelled the prickles coursing through his body – sometimes more than other times, but they were always there.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t call me dude,” Derek just said, pushing his glasses up.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe you should tighten your glasses, since they keep slipping off,” he commented, before arguing Derek’s statement. “What should I call you then? Dearest of mine? Sweetheart? Baby? Darling?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek rolled his eyes, but the tips of his ears started to burn. He still didn’t know what they were, so he just kept quiet.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly after that, Stiles parked in front of a house, which Derek assumed was the Stilinski’s.</p><p> </p><p>Together they walked towards the door, which Stiles opened, before letting them inside.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s nose immediately smelled Stiles, and Stiles, and Stiles. There was also another smell, but Derek pushed that away, as he did a few steps forward, inhaling deeply. <em>God</em>, that smelled insanely good.</p><p> </p><p>“You okay?” Stiles asked, throwing his jacket off.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmh,” Derek agreed, before taking his own shoes and jacket off. “Is your father not home?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shook his head. “No, he’s probably at the station. Let’s go upstairs, or oh, wait, bad host, so you wanna eat or drink something.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shook his head, with a small smile. “I’m good, thanks.”</p><p> </p><p>“Cool,” Stiles mumbled, before taking two steps at a time up to his room.</p><p> </p><p>Derek had to clench his jaw and ball his hands to fists as he stepped inside. He wanted nothing more than to lay in Stiles bed, smell the delicious scents there and put his smell there too. He wanted to mix their smells again. Like that one time Stiles had touched his neck.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles interrupted his shameless thoughts with laughter. “You can come inside, I won’t bite,” he joked.</p><p> </p><p>Derek threw him a fake smile – too ashamed of his own thoughts – as he walked inside, looking around. He saw pictures of young Stiles with his parents, and with his friends. He saw Erica, Lydia, Allison, Boyd and Isaac. Another friend, he hadn’t met, but assumed was Melissa’s son.</p><p> </p><p>“Have you watched Lucifer? The TV show,” Stiles asked, grabbing his laptop. He sat down at his bed and motioned for Derek to do the same.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, I have,” he answered. “But it’s been a while, I think I stayed somewhere in season three.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek slowly sat down at the edge of the bed. He was still trying to control himself.</p><p> </p><p>But Stiles spread his legs, for Derek to sit between them and Derek just lost it. He balled his fists up, and could feel his claws penetrate his own flesh. He had to take a minute, so he gulped, staring at the laptop.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles didn’t seem to notice as he pressed on the Netflix button and scrolled through the lists of TV shows and movies. “So, Lucifer?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked up at Stiles and nodded silently.</p><p> </p><p>“Cool, come up here,” he grinned, patting the spot between his legs.</p><p> </p><p>Derek immediately complied. Stiles put the laptop on Derek’s legs, wrapping his arms around him. He placed his head on Derek’s shoulder and looked at the screen, as the episode started.</p><p> </p><p>Half way through Stiles whispered, “Breath, relax.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek swallowed again, rolling his shoulders and relaxing a little. He was overreacting. This was fine. This was normal. They were just watching a show. In Stiles’s room. In Stiles’s bed.</p><p> </p><p>Yeah, sure. Totally fine.</p><p> </p><p>He bit his lip, holding in some shameful sounds, as Stiles pressed a kiss against his shoulder. And another one in his neck. And behind his ear.</p><p> </p><p>Derek could smell Stiles’s arousal, which intensified his own. “Stiles,” he breathed.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, okay, I’ll stop, you’re just irresistible.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek was happy Stiles could not see his face, because he was turning red.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Derek was restless. He didn’t watch the show. He barely listened to Stiles’s commentary on the episodes - which should've been hard, considering the amount of it. It was just… He couldn’t focus.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s arm was wrapped around Derek’s stomach, his other hand was laying on his thigh.</p><p> </p><p>He had been patient for the past hour, but he grew more and more restless.</p><p> </p><p>So, he pushed the laptop aside and turned around. Stiles’s face was so close, he could just press himself forward and kiss him. But he didn’t. Because Derek Hale was a coward, and he would admit to it any day.</p><p> </p><p>“Der, you okay?” Stiles asked, cocking his head slightly.</p><p> </p><p>Derek kept looking at him for a moment, before he inhaled, nodding. “Yeah, um, can I, can I use your bathroom?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles smiled. “Yeah, sure, down the hall, last door on your left. I’ll go order our food.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded and got out of bed to follow the instructions to the bathroom. Once there he let go of his control. He was shaking his arms and legs loose, but before he could stop himself, he pressed his face into a towel that smelt like pure Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>A loud whine left his mouth. “God,” he mumbled embarrassed. Still, he didn’t take his face away for a solid five minutes.</p><p> </p><p>Derek couldn’t get enough of Stiles’s smell. It was insane. Never before had he felt the need to smell someone like this.</p><p> </p><p>Derek pricked his ears, hearing Stiles hang up the phone and whistle as he shuffled around some things. He was downstairs.</p><p> </p><p>He quickly washed his hands, and fixed his hair, before going downstairs.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was already preparing the table, putting two glasses at the table. “Hey,” he smiled, when he saw Derek.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi,” he breathed back.</p><p> </p><p>“Come here,” Stiles mumbled, opening his arms. Derek stepped right into them, hugging Stiles back.</p><p> </p><p>Derek felt himself relax. Everything just kind of clicked into place. He had tried to ignore it, but this, right here, right now – it just felt unbelievably good.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s more like it,” he heard Stiles grin. “You’ve been tense for hours.” He created some distance between them and looked right into Derek’s eyes, before kissing him.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you always treat people like this?” Derek blurted.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s cheeky grin appeared again. “Only the pretty ones.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek felt himself burn up like candlesticks at those words, but was thankfully saved by the bell. He had never been called pretty before. It was… strange. Good strange though.</p><p> </p><p>“Food’s here,” Stiles said, coming back with a box of pizza and a bag, which probably contained the sushi.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>It took Derek a moment before he liked sushi, at first it was weird, and slippery. But then he started to think it was pretty okay.</p><p> </p><p>“So, Harris hates me because of that,” Stiles grinned, concluding his story with a shrug.</p><p> </p><p>“He seriously called you a hyperactive spaz?” Derek asked for the second time. He still couldn’t believe that part.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Stiles nodded, around a mouthful of pizza. “I mean, okay, sure, I probably kind of deserved it, but the dude was weird – <em>is</em> weird.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek laughed quietly. He took a sip of his coke, before Stiles asked him, “How about you? Tell me about your education.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shrugged. “We got taught by my grandfather and then one of my uncles and one of my aunts, when he got older.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t imagine that, I had to put up with Harris, even during high school!” he exasperated. “I honestly only liked Finstock, he was our coach.”</p><p> </p><p>This made Derek look up. “What’d you play?”</p><p> </p><p>“Lacrosse, I was not good during freshman, but cut me some slack, I was… differently build than I am now,” he said, flexing for show.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was lean, but not thin. He was tall, but not lanky.</p><p> </p><p>“Then again, my friend was much better, but he cheated.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek heard Stiles’s heart beat faster after that statement, as if he had slipped something he didn’t want to. “How can you cheat at lacrosse?” Derek asked, laughing about it – to get an answer.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles shrugged, gulping down his food. “Honestly, if you’re like him, you can,” he answered. Quickly, he dismissed Derek’s questionable frown and asked Derek something else. “With how many people do you live?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had seemed honestly amazed the time he had stayed for dinner. Right now, it was not any less. Derek remembered how Stiles had said he ate alone most of the time and Derek could understand how he liked the Hales. No one was ever left alone. They were a family, a pack. And sure, sometimes Derek was hating his life, but it was just in the moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no idea, let’s see,” Derek started. Normally he would’ve just said ‘around thirty’ and be done with it, but Stiles seemed intrigued. And Derek loved Stiles’s eyes on him. “My grandparents.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s two,” Stiles said, putting up two finger.</p><p> </p><p>“Then, there’s Uncle William, he’s married to Aunt Jada, they have,” Derek quickly counted in his head – Shawn, Darius, Asia, Dylan and Caitlin. “Five children and the eldest is married. No children.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s ten already,” Stiles said amazed.</p><p> </p><p>“Then Aunt Sasha, who’s married to Uncle Donald, they have three children. My parents, we’re also with three,” Derek followed, looking at Stiles count on his fingers.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s… twenty.”</p><p> </p><p>“Aunt Lilly and Uncle Misha, two kids. Uncle Patrick and Aunt Martha, three children.”</p><p> </p><p>“Twenty-nine,” Stiles counted. “And counting,” he added with a grin.</p><p> </p><p>Derek rolled his eyes, with a small smile. “Uncle Enzo and Uncle Jake—”</p><p> </p><p>“The gay couple,” Stiles said excited.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, yeah,” Derek mumbled. “Two kids and lastly my Uncle Peter.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, that makes a total of thirty-four.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s crazy, but awesome, if you ever need shelter, you now know where I live,” Stiles joked.</p><p> </p><p>Derek laughed silently. They continued to eat in silence for a moment. After a few minutes Stiles looked at Derek, stopping eating altogether. It was only a matter of time, anyways.</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked up from his drink, and raised his eyebrows. When Stiles didn’t start speaking, he asked, “What?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles blinked. “Oh, nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>But after a few minutes it happened again.</p><p> </p><p>“Just ask,” Derek said, taking the last bite of his pizza.</p><p> </p><p>“I—” Stiles sighed, before continuing. “Why are you here? I mean did you feel pressured or anything?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned. “I did not.”</p><p> </p><p>This was weird. Since when was Stiles acting vulnerable, almost acting like Derek normally did?</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just shrugged, but he suddenly smelled anxious.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles, <em>I</em> kissed <em>you</em>, remember?” Derek admitted, with bright red cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I remember,” he grinned. That was more like the Stiles Derek knew. “You’re just very hard to read sometimes,” Stiles admitted in his turn. “A lot of the time, actually, I don’t know what you are thinking and you, well, you don’t really talk, I mean, I have made it pretty obvious that I’m like superrr into you, from like, the beginning I guess, and I didn’t think my charms worked, until you kissed me,” he rattled.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just smiled at the table, not knowing what to do with his hands. He shrugged. “Just, like— you are not really into labels and I—”</p><p> </p><p>“Dude, that was totally a lie, I just didn’t want to scare you away, I want us to be boyfriends, I’ll just stick a big, fat label to you that says Stiles Stilinski’s boyfriend, do not pet, he bites.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek fell silent. “Boyfriend?” he muttered after a moment.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles started laughing. “Seriously? Of all the weird things that came out of my mouth, you’re stuck on that?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek sensed Stiles’s laugh was partly a coverup. He predicted Stiles was scared of rejection. Which Derek was never going to give him.</p><p> </p><p>If it meant Derek could smell Stiles and kiss Stiles. And hold him. And learn some more about the stars. And try some new food with him. And have fun. And get to know him inside out.</p><p> </p><p>Then yes.</p><p> </p><p>Yes, he wanted them to be boyfriends too. He wanted to get Stiles’s label on him, as much as he wanted to stick his own label on Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded firmly. “I’d like that,” he said shyly. He wanted to sound confident, but who was he kidding?</p><p> </p><p>The smile that formed on Stiles’s face, could blind anyone. It made Derek’s heart beat faster, as he could feel his face mimic the smile.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>It was not until later that same day he had regrets. After angry family members, because he had missed dinner and had – <em>totally</em> not on purpose – turned his phone off, had almost stoned him. Derek hadn’t even let any of them known that he’d be home late.</p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t care less.</p><p> </p><p>They ate with him every day. Couldn’t he just get away for once? Just have dinner with Stiles – with his <em>boyfriend</em> for once?</p><p> </p><p>The regrets though, they started the moment Derek laid in bed at night. Peter was dreaming, as usual around this time of the night.</p><p> </p><p>Derek however, was scared shitless.</p><p> </p><p>How was he supposed to be in a relationship in which he couldn’t be honest? He wanted to be, of course, he wanted nothing more at the moment. But he knew he couldn’t. His parents would kill him.</p><p> </p><p>Uncle Donald had moved house as a small boy from Ireland, because there were people who had known about his family. Some had even gotten injured due to their… condition.</p><p> </p><p>Uncle Misha had told them about some Russian packs, that had murdered dozens of people that had tried to come after them.</p><p> </p><p>Anyways, there were enough stories that told Derek he couldn’t be honest with humans. There were very few who understood, and most of the time they had relatives or close friends who were wolves.</p><p> </p><p>Derek knew Stiles was not a werewolf. He knew the Sheriff wasn’t. His friends were also all human, even the woman – Melissa – was human. Derek hadn’t sensed any other wolf in Stiles’s vicinity.</p><p> </p><p>So, he knew, there was no way Stiles knew about their existence, let alone accept them. Which in turn meant Derek couldn’t tell Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>That was what made him anxious. He didn’t want to lie. If it was just him, he’d tell Stiles in seconds, preparing himself for rejection. But it wasn’t just him, Derek knew lots of other wolves and packs.</p><p> </p><p>Thus, he could not tell him. No matter how much he wanted to, or trusted him.</p><p> </p><p>That was something all werewolves learned from the moment they were born: don’t trust humans with this secret.</p><p> </p><p>The biggest issue was his control. Even if he wouldn’t and couldn’t tell Stiles, there was the chance of him losing control. He couldn’t always be tense and attentive, like today. Stiles had commented about how not-relaxed he was today.</p><p> </p><p>Derek knew Stiles thought Derek was just trying to get used to everything. But he wasn’t. He wanted to stay in control. No matter how or where Stiles touched him, no matter how many times Stiles kissed him, no matter how fucking good Stiles smelt to him.</p><p> </p><p>Also, there was the disapproval of his parents, and probably other pack members. Derek didn’t want to disappoint them or hurt them, but he couldn’t keep his distance from Stiles. Sure, he had barely tried. But he didn’t want to.</p><p> </p><p>For now, Derek had mixed feelings, and he didn’t know what to do about it.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Early birthday and Cockblocks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p> Hi! I really appreciate all the support, thank you! Have fun reading :) </p><p> — <strong> mature content </strong>— </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peter had kept his word. No one had bothered Derek for weeks; they had not even asked about Stiles. And Derek was completely okay with it.</p><p> </p><p>He was however stressing out, because the date for Secret Santa was getting closer and closer and Derek still had no idea what to buy Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a bad boyfriend,” Peter teased. They were in the woods, walking around.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m trying, okay,” Derek sighed. “I asked Uncle Enzo, he came with weird stuff,” Derek shuddered. “Uncle Jake told me to buy him clothes, because he should dress better – but I don’t care what he wears.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or perhaps nothing at all?” Peter teased again.</p><p> </p><p>Derek felt himself burn up again, but he ignored the comment. “It’s just, everything Stiles likes, he already has. I wanted to buy some new books about astronomy, but he has them all.”</p><p> </p><p>“Make him something,” Peter said, kicking against some dirt. “That’s much more personal, and whatever it is, he’ll like it, because he loves you.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s heart skipped a beat.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Love?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Neither of them had ever said that. And Derek was not sure Stiles loved him — liked him? Yeah. But love?</p><p> </p><p>Peter raised his eyebrows at Derek’s internal monologue. He understood immediately. “He does, I can smell it on him whenever he drops you off,” Peter commented. “About that, you should really get your own car.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek had not been speaking the first six years of his life. His family thought he couldn’t, but he just didn’t. When he got older, it got harder for them to understand him. Only Peter understood him every single time. Derek was still equally amazed and terrified about that. The man always seemed to know what Derek thought or how he felt.</p><p> </p><p>That was actually a good suggestion. “But what should I make him?” Derek wondered out loud. </p><p> </p><p>Peter shrugged. “Your boyfriend, not mine.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek smiled at that sentence. <em>His boyfriend</em>. Stiles had immediately told ‘the gang’, like he called their friends. Derek was finally used to the fact that they were his friends too. They were not surprised in the slightest.</p><p> </p><p>Lydia even commented it had taken far too long. Derek thought she exaggerated; it had been just a few months. It was rather short he’d say.</p><p> </p><p>His memory suddenly recalled Stiles saying something about short. It had been a song on the radio, it was cut short. And he had liked it. Derek tried to remember what else he had said.</p><p> </p><p>Then it hit him. The tape he had malfunctioned, and eventually broke. For as far as it can break.</p><p> </p><p>So, that’s it then. He had to figure out how he could put music on those old tapes. He wondered why Stiles didn’t just take a car with a normal radio.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Stiles pushed him – a little harder than Derek had anticipated on – on his bed, their lips never parting. Soon, Derek opened his mouth, giving Stiles’s tongue access to his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“God,” he breathed, pressing his forehead against Derek’s, catching his breath. “You always make me so horny.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then do something about it,” Derek heard himself whisper back.</p><p> </p><p>“Derek,” Stiles warned, creating a little distance between them.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just turned his head away, turning red. Why did he have to say that?</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, hey, look at me,” Stiles said, grabbing Derek’s face between his hands and turning it back. “That was definitely not a rejection, but I want it to be perfect, not some quick fuck.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek, he didn’t even know it was possible, turned an even darker shade of red. Still, he silently nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“But, then again,” Stiles breathed, continuing. “We don’t have to fuck.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked in awe, pressing his lips against Stiles’s again. Stiles pushed his hips against Derek’s in response.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was thankful that their eyes were closed, because he could feel his eyes flash at the movement. And the smell. And the sounds. And Stiles’s heartbeat.</p><p> </p><p>God.</p><p> </p><p>It drove him crazy.</p><p> </p><p><em>Stiles</em> drove him crazy.</p><p> </p><p>With a loud gasp he woke up, sitting straight in his bed.</p><p> </p><p>“Jesus, Derek,” Peter groaned, pushing his face into his pillow.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” he mumbled awkwardly back, before quickly disappearing to take a cold shower.</p><p> </p><p>He was slightly disgusted with himself when he thought things over, cooling down. He had known Stiles for three months, how was it possible that he longed for him this much?</p><p> </p><p>He sighed.</p><p> </p><p>This was hopeless.</p><p> </p><p>His parents didn’t like Stiles. Or well, they liked Stiles as a person, but not as Derek’s boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p>“Heh.” He tried to suppress his smile. <em>Boyfriend</em>. That still needed some getting used to.</p><p> </p><p>His parents were concerned about their family. And Derek understood. Never mind how much he wanted, he could not ever tell Stiles about them. It was not only not his secret to share, but it was also a direct threat to his pack.</p><p> </p><p>It was hopeless. Like he had thought before.</p><p> </p><p>He could never be a hundred precent honest with Stiles. So, what’s the point? Maybe he should just break everything off, keep his distance from Stiles and ignore his own feelings.</p><p> </p><p>But when he got to school later that same day and only got a whiff of Stiles’s scent, he knew that was impossible. He couldn’t stay away from Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Derek was excited, they’d go to Stiles’s place after school again. And he was excited because he finally got his shit together and knew he wanted to go further than kissing Stiles. Or dreaming about kissing Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>He wanted Stiles’s hands on every part of his naked body. And his on Stiles’s. Inside someone’s body was fine too. More than fine even.</p><p> </p><p>Just… anything.</p><p> </p><p>“Shall we get some ice cream?” Stiles proposed, meeting him in the swamped hallway.</p><p> </p><p>“Can we just skip Harris?” Derek asked instead of answering.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles cocked his head a little, inspecting Derek’s face. “My, oh, my,” he grinned. “Since when are you the bad influence in this relationship?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek stumbled over the last word. It echoed though his head.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Come on.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Don’t act like it’s still insane that Stiles actually likes you. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“I…” Derek started, eventually just shrugging, because he didn’t know what to say.</p><p> </p><p>“You…?” Stiles repeated, curious. When Derek stayed silent, he opened his mouth again. “I know you, you want something, tell me.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek clenched his teeth. <em>What?</em> Was he that easy to read? Impossible.</p><p> </p><p>Even his own family, his pack – let’s emphasis the fact that they not only shared a blood relationship, but a mental one as well – didn’t know how to read Derek like that. Except for Peter of course, but that was a different story.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grabbed Derek’s chin, locking their eyes. “Tell me, what is it you desire?” he asked, faking a thick, British accent.</p><p> </p><p>Derek couldn’t stop the laugh that erupted from his chest. Only Stiles could make such a dorky Lucifer reference and get away with it.</p><p> </p><p>Derek shrugged again. “I don’t know, I just wanted to spend some time with you, I guess,” he mumbled, looking everywhere, but at Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles suddenly pecked Derek’s lips, intertwining their fingers and pulling him towards the school’s exit.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re going to get second thoughts, and I don’t care anymore, you’re too adorable, so we’re skipping Harris,” he made a gaging sound, as if he was puking, before continuing. “I’m kidnapping you, or rather young-adult-napping you, and I’m going to cuddle the shit out of you.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek liked that. He just trailed behind Stiles, only stopping to get in on his side of the car.</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t stop for ice cream on the road, or to check the mail that was laying on the porch. Derek sensed Stiles was as relaxed as Derek wanted to be. Instead, Derek was nervous as hell, he wanted to initiate the next step.</p><p> </p><p>But what if Stiles didn’t want to? What if Derek had misunderstood? Was there even a mutual attraction? Was Stiles as obsessed with Derek, as Derek was with Stiles? Did he dream about him too?</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, you okay?” Stiles asked, grabbing some sweatpants from his drawer.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded, weakly smiling at him.</p><p> </p><p>“You want some?” Stiles asked, raising the pants.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s mind went insane. He hadn’t even thought about the question, or a possible answer, before his head nodded on its own account.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles smiled and threw them at him.</p><p> </p><p>Derek slowly opened his belt. Or at least, that is what he was trying to do. His hands were shaking, and soon enough, Stiles’s hands appeared in his vision.</p><p> </p><p>“Here, let me,” he whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Derek held his breath, looking at Stiles’s insanely long fingers. They were so close to his crotch, but yet too far away.</p><p> </p><p>With Stiles’s help, Derek stepped out of his jeans a moment later. When Stiles wanted to grab the joggers, Derek stopped him.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles looked confused for a moment, before he locked his eyes with Derek’s determined ones. Stiles reached out to touch Derek’s face. A touch which he leaned into, closing his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just stopped the whine that threatened to slip out of his throat in time. Before he’d make a <em>complete</em> fool out of himself.</p><p> </p><p>“Jesus, Der, you’re so pretty,” Stiles breathed, pressing a few kisses along his jawline.</p><p> </p><p>Derek waited and waited, for what seemed eons, until he just snapped. “Please,” he whispered. “Just touch me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek opened his eyes at the question, grabbing Stiles’s hand and slowly starting its way to Derek’s hard on. It was slow enough to anticipate Stiles’s reaction and give him a chance to put a stop to this. But it was fast enough for Stiles to know Derek <em>really</em> wanted this.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles didn’t stop Derek. In any way. If anything, his eyes and his smell encouraged the movement.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles pressed his lips against Derek’s, his fingers gliding up and down Derek’s thighs. A soft moan escaped Derek’s mouth, at which Stiles started to kiss Derek’s throat and his neck.</p><p> </p><p>It was so… normal for humans. Intimate, but normal.</p><p> </p><p>For Derek, for general werewolves… this was insane. It was like Derek gave Stiles every piece of himself. Stiles was practically scenting Derek with all the sloppy kisses and wet licks he left.</p><p> </p><p>But he wanted more. He <em>needed</em> more.</p><p> </p><p>Derek let his control slip a little, as he pushed Stiles back on the bed, pressing his own face into Stiles’s throat. He wanted Stiles to smell like him, and only him. As Derek worked on Stiles’s throat, Stiles’s hands went to Derek’s underwear.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to jerk you off,” Stiles announced, in a whispered tone.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s wolf whined at the thought. And apparently so did his human form, because Stiles started to grin. Too slowly, Stiles got Derek out of his briefs and his hand on his dick.</p><p> </p><p>But when he finally did, Derek could feel his gums pop.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly, he threw himself away from Stiles. “I can’t,” he breathed. Derek rapidly tucked himself into his boxers, turning his back to Stiles in the process.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” Stiles said, caressing Derek’s arms, and pressing a soft kiss on the warm spot in between his shoulder blades. “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, no,” Derek said immediately, turning around. “It’s not your fault, I just…”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles hushed him. “It’s totally fine, I promise, as long as you feel okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek pushed himself closer to Stiles, hugging him. A shaky breath left his chest. “Sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t apologize,” Stiles murmured, still hugging Derek. “I went to far; we didn’t even talk about it.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek had seen Stiles cocky. He had seen Stiles sad. And happy. And angry. And even disappointed — when the lunch lady had sold all the chicken wraps, before he could get one.</p><p> </p><p>But this was something else entirely. He was so vulnerable. So raw. It made a chill ran down Derek’s spine.</p><p> </p><p>And he loved it. The fact that Stiles dared to feel this way around Derek. The fact that Stiles was okay with Derek stopping their sexy time.</p><p> </p><p>It made the fact that he lied to Stiles so much worse. The burden that was weighing down on his shoulders, but also on his heart. It was crushing him, and he knew it was only a matter of time before things were going to change. For better or for worse was the only question.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Derek was sitting with Boyd in the library. They were studying. It was quiet between them, but it was a nice quiet – not awkward at all, and Derek appreciated it. Not many people could handle Derek’s silence, but Boyd was just like him in that department.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly Stiles barged inside, with all the necessary and especially unnecessary sounds – even getting the librarian to hush him. He just waved her away, looking around until he saw Derek and Boyd.</p><p> </p><p>Derek could hear Boyd sigh next to him. “That’s my cue.” He got his stuff together, got up and left.</p><p> </p><p>“There you are,” Stiles greeted, smiling and sitting across from him. “What are you doing <em>here</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked around himself, looking at all the books that were laying there, and raised his eyebrows at Stiles. Wasn’t it obvious?</p><p> </p><p>Stiles just sputtered, waving him away. “I mean, yeah, I get that you’re busy with your essay, but tomorrow is your birthday, and we will celebrate today, because the Hale gang, the Hale family, the Hale group, the Hale… pack,” Stiles said, making obnoxious motions with his hands – Derek only recognized the westside sign and a peace sign.</p><p> </p><p>His heart stopped though, and he barely heard the rest of Stiles’s sentence. <em>Pack</em>? Did he know? No. No, definitely not. Derek had done nothing remotely suspicious, at least not while Stiles was around.</p><p> </p><p>But Stiles was already talking further, not even noticing Derek’s intern monologue. Which put Derek slightly at ease – he had said other words, he was probably just joking around. Derek would have known if Stiles knew.</p><p> </p><p>“So, let’s go,” Stiles ended, standing up.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded numbly, stuffing his papers and books in his bag, before following Stiles out of the library. The librarian seemed to be happy about Stiles’s exit.</p><p> </p><p>It made Derek squeamish, and he wanted to lash out at her. How dare she not appreciate Stiles? He dared to bet on his life that Stiles knew more about the books in there, than she did.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you thinking about?” Stiles suddenly asked, intertwining their fingers.</p><p> </p><p>Derek blushed. “Nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grinned at him and hummed.</p><p> </p><p>“Where are we going?” Derek asked, when they were driving down the road moments later. He had expected them to go downtown, to the restaurant they had eaten at a few times, or to the Stilinski house – but they were going the exact opposite of both directions. They were actually going down the road to Derek’s home – towards the preserve.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll see,” Stiles answered, drumming his fingers on the wheel to the song on the radio.</p><p> </p><p>It made Derek remember his present for Stiles. It was finished. Derek had made the tape he had wanted to make – thanks to some helpful YouTube tutorials. Next to <em>The World is Ugly</em>, he had added more songs he liked and made him think about Stiles. He had also bought a book about Greek mythology, and guess what? The first story was about Orion.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was so excited to give Stiles his presents, he hoped Stiles liked it.</p><p> </p><p>A few songs further, Stiles turned down a road, just before they would enter Hale ground. It made Derek even more curious. He had thought they would go to Derek’s house – but apparently not.</p><p> </p><p>He looked around, and then when he saw where they were headed, he whipped his head to Stiles. It was where Stiles had sat a few months back. The place near the preserve, with the hill. That night of the full moon, when Derek had gone for a run with Uncle Peter, his sisters and some cousins.</p><p> </p><p>He wondered why Stiles had brought him here.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles stopped the car and got out, opening the trunk and grabbing some stuff. Derek quickly got out of the car too, and looked around. The view was really nice, he understood why Stiles liked to come here.</p><p> </p><p>“I hope you’re hungry, I didn’t know what to order, and I definitely didn’t make anything, because, well… I once nearly burned the house down, because I was making toast,” he rambled, placing a blanket and some pillows near the hill. He motioned for Derek to sit down.</p><p> </p><p>It didn’t take much conversing and eating, before Stiles started to ramble again. “I have–” his mouth was too full with the sandwich he had pressed into his mouth, so he stopped talking, swallowing much too soon, before talking again. “I have a present for you,” he said excited. “Oh, yeah, but first mini-cake,” he announced, opening a box with honest to God two muffins. Then he tapped his pockets, searching for something – a moment later Derek understood the items he was looking for were a candle and a lighter.</p><p> </p><p>Derek couldn’t stop smiling at how adorable Stiles was. No one – who wasn’t pack – had ever done something like this for him. He was speechless, to say the least.</p><p> </p><p>“Happy birthday, sunshine,” Stiles announced. “Oh, no wait,” he said, pulling away the muffin with the lit candle, as Derek wanted to blow it out. “I have rehearsed this, so you have to listen.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek laughed softly. “Hurry up, I want to kiss you,” he answered.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s mouth fell open for a moment. “You, don’t– I,” he spluttered.</p><p> </p><p>Derek just raised his eyebrows teasingly.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles groaned, “Impossible.” Then he cleared his throat. “Okay, so, I’m really glad we finally got to meet,” he started.</p><p> </p><p><em>Finally</em>? A frown appeared on Derek’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll explain later,” Stiles quickly said, before he continued his speech. “I know we haven’t known each other for ages, but is it very cliché if I say it feels that way? I just get this feeling inside of me that I haven’t felt in years when you’re near.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek smiled at him, averting his eyes for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re an amazing person Der, not only are you smart, but you’re kind, and honest, and fun,” Stiles summed up.</p><p> </p><p>Honest… Derek gulped. <em>Don’t think about it</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“I can just be myself around you, I can just be a hyperactive spaz,” he grinned, quoting Harris. “And I want to thank you for that,” he smiled shyly. Then he pushed the muffin forward. “Now you can blow.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek followed the order, and smiled at Stiles, who just smiled back. They just looked at each other for a moment, Stiles slowly lowering his arms and the muffin down on the blanket.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Shall we go to your house?” Derek whispered, scenting the whiff of arousal that came from Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles nodded silently, not breaking the eye contact between. “Yeah, just, I,” he breathed. Then, as if waking from a daze he blinked and shook his head. “Yeah, let’s go.”</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Kissing and groping each other, they stumbled inside the house, up the stairs and into Stiles’s room.</p><p> </p><p>“God, Derek,” Stiles breathed, as he kissed him in his neck. “I’ll murder you if you will keep me hanging again,” he said, pushing Derek back on the bed. “Okay, that’s not true,” he continued, hovering over him, making sure there were just inches between their bodies and faces. Derek could feel his breath over his face. “Just tell me when to sto–”</p><p> </p><p>Derek pulled him a little forcefully down, pressing their lips together. He wanted this. If he’d relax, he would stay in control. He got this. He could do this. And if not, then he had to make sure Stiles was in no way able to get harmed.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, <em>Stiles</em>,” Derek moaned, without permission from himself.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grinned, grinding against him again. “God, I love it when you say my name like that.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek thought they were wearing too many layers of clothing, so he pushed Stiles a little back to pull his own sweater off. Apparently, they had lost their jackets along the way to Stiles’s bedroom.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles immediately put his mouth on Derek’s nipple, making him gasp and grab the duvet beneath him with both hands. In the meantime, Stiles’s hands wandered to Derek’s pants, opening the button and zipping the zipper down.</p><p> </p><p>The fact that Stiles’s hands were so low on his body, the fact that he was touching his pelvis – it was enough to make Derek embarrassingly hard. Stiles switched to Derek’s other nipple, before kissing his way down.</p><p> </p><p>And Derek just lay there, enjoying the sensation that was Stiles’s tongue, until it wasn’t on his body anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Derek opened his eyes, looking up at Stiles, who licked his lips. It made his stomach do a backflip, before he reached his hands out to help Stiles out of his clothes.</p><p> </p><p>In silence they looked at each other, ghosts of touches on their skin, whispers of kisses anywhere they could press them.</p><p> </p><p>Until Stiles dropped the bomb. “I’m gonna make you feel so good,” he promised into Derek’s ear. “You’ll never forget your twenty-first birthday.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek knew what would happen, when Stiles disappeared from above him and placed himself on his knees in front of him.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles, you don’t–” he tried in vain.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was faster, and wrapped his sinful, wet lips around Derek’s cock.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Jesus</em>,” Derek gasped, doing his best to pin his hips to the bed. He didn’t want to choke Stiles. Not for real, at least.</p><p> </p><p>Derek started to struggle with his eye color, he could feel them flash again and again, and he was damn happy Stiles was focused on different parts of his body. But when he took Derek’s dick deeper into his mouth and <em>honest to God, swallowed</em>, it took everything inside him to stop his claws from appearing and tearing at the fabrics on Stiles’s bed.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s tongue swirled around the slit of Derek’s head, it licked stripes up and down the base and he sucked at his balls. It was a lot to take, and Stiles seemed to enjoy it as much as Derek did. He could smell it. Everything was just overwhelming Derek, as he still laid there, taking everything Stiles would give him.</p><p> </p><p>He was scared the next sound that would leave his mouth would be a howl, so he kept his mouth closed.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles didn’t warn him when his finger came into play and prodded at Derek’s hole. He bucked his hips involuntarily upward, hearing Stiles gag.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, sorry,” he apologized immediately, getting a little up to look at Stiles. He just smiled around Derek’s dick at him, his eyes a little wet.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s mouth just fell open. Stiles held his eyes, as he bobbed his head slowly up and down. The finger that had been exploring places Derek had never even been himself, penetrated the wall and got inside him.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Stiles</em>,” Derek whined, his eyes closing for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Relax,” Stiles said, kissing his thigh.</p><p> </p><p>Before Stiles had said that, Derek hadn’t even felt how he clenched around Stiles’s finger. It was just inside him, not doing anything. So, Derek moved his hips, rolling them down.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grinned at the movement and started to actually finger Derek, only getting encouraged by the sounds that left his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh God, <em>there</em>, right there, Stiles, <em>fuck</em>,” Derek rambled, pushing his hips down once more. Stiles had hit a spot inside him that made him see stars.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles did it again, and again. Beads of precum trailing down Derek’s length, onto his stomach. He wasn’t even embarrassed anymore. He just wanted to come so badly. He was so close, but still too far away.</p><p> </p><p>It was just pure luck that he forced himself to focus on something else for a moment. His senses were going to explode if he kept smelling the air in the room, kept feeling the things he was feeling and kept restraining his wolf.</p><p> </p><p>Pure luck, that he heard the cruiser drive up to the porch.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles,” Derek breathed, barely audible. “Stiles, Stiles,” he said louder. “Stop.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles immediately listened, and Derek growled uncomfortable at the loss of his finger inside him.</p><p> </p><p>“Your father,” Derek breathed again, still trying to catch his breath.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Stiles asked dumbfounded, his eyes glazed over with sex.</p><p> </p><p>“Your father,” Derek repeated.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles laughed. “Oh, no, don’t worry, he’s at the station.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shook his head, just pointing at the window. He didn’t even have the power to talk anymore. He had been <em>so </em>close.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles immediately stood up and peered out of the window, where he indeed saw his father park the car. “Fuck,” he hissed.</p><p> </p><p>So much for never forgetting his twenty-first birthday.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>They got dressed in no time, but Derek needed a moment to get his boner down. It seemed impossible, because he could smell the sex in the room, he could even smell the buds of precum in Stiles’s underwear.</p><p> </p><p>But eventually, thanks to Stiles’s help — he kept making Derek think about anything that was not hot at all — it went down.</p><p> </p><p>“Naked grandma,” Stiles added.</p><p> </p><p>“Enough, I’m good,” Derek mumbled ashamed.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was totally okay with everything, as he walked downstairs to greet his father.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, son, how are you?” the Sheriff said, as they got to the kitchen.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m g—”</p><p> </p><p>“I am not talking to you, I’m still angry,” the Sheriff interrupted him and looking back at Derek.</p><p> </p><p>Was he talking to Derek, then?</p><p> </p><p>“Um, I’m good, sir, thank you,” Derek answered, nervously cleaning his glasses.</p><p> </p><p>“Daddio,” Stiles whined. “You can’t stay angry forever,” he said. “He’s mad, because I threw out his meat, it’s not healthy and not good for his heart,” he said to Derek.</p><p> </p><p>“I was looking forward to that stake for the whole day,” the Sheriff said back.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I was looking forward to sex,” Stiles mumbled under his breath.</p><p> </p><p>Derek got insanely red and thanked his lucky stars that the Sheriff had not heard what his son had said. He noticed, however, the blush that spread over Derek's face. “Sit down,” he motioned. “So, what have you been doing?”</p><p> </p><p>The boys sat next to each other, across from the Sheriff.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was glad Stiles decided to answer the question, while he was sitting there, tongue tied. He was doing his best to ignore the fact that Stiles placed his hand on Derek’s thigh under the table. But he made it so hard, because it was not an innocent touch, he was making Derek go insane.</p><p> </p><p>Barely minutes ago, they were going to have sex. Stiles had Derek’s dick in his mouth. Derek had Stiles’s finger up his ass.</p><p> </p><p>“I organized a picnic, it’s Derek’s birthday tomorrow,” Stiles chirped happy, not as tense as Derek at all.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s good,” the Sheriff smiled. “Happy birthday, Derek.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, sir,” Derek smiled, slightly forced. He was more focused on his heartbeat, that was beating in his throat. He had to stop Stiles’s hand, but without drawing attention to it.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was happily conversing with his father, while he rubbed up and down Derek’s thigh.</p><p> </p><p>Then in an impulse he got up, getting the attention of the two men.</p><p> </p><p>“Um, excuse me,” he said, blushing. “I need to call home.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure, son,” the Sheriff answered.</p><p> </p><p>Derek stalked away quickly, sighing at the loss of Stiles’s hand. Still, when he was in the corridor, he grabbed his phone and texted Peter.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Derek</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Meet me later at the house</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Uncle Peter </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>When?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>You okay?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>Derek</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Yes, fine. I’ll text you when I’m on my way.  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Peter send him a thumbs up, before Derek put his phone back in his pocket. When they were little, they had made a treehouse. It had become something of a secret spot of them over the years.</p><p> </p><p>When Derek came back, he saw the Stilinski men were still talking. It was something about school. Derek didn’t really listen as he sat down again. This time Stiles didn’t put his hands on Derek again – <em>thank God</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“So, how’s your family, Derek?” the Sheriff asked, giving him a small smile.</p><p> </p><p>“They’re good, thank you,” Derek immediately answered. He was tense. He barely knew why. He had met the Sheriff before. They had talked before. What was different now?</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Maybe the fact that his son had your dick down his throat barely half an hour ago?!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Blood rushed to his cheeks, as he ordered himself to stop thinking about it.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles told me you study at the same college, you’re the first Hale, aren’t you?” the Sheriff asked.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. We’re, uh, getting homeschooled.”</p><p> </p><p>The Sheriff nodded. “Yes, I know. So, what do you study?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m trying to get my bachelor’s in architecture, sir,” Derek answered.</p><p> </p><p>The Sheriff laughed. “Come now, don’t be so formal. But that’s nice to hear, son.”</p><p> </p><p>“Very nice salary too,” Stiles piped in. “Better than law enforcement.”</p><p> </p><p>Sheriff shook his head, grinning at the observation. Then he stood up. “Okay, boys, I’ll leave you to it again. Stiles, I’ll be home late,” he said, holding his eyes for a moment too long.</p><p> </p><p>Derek knew he was communicating with his son through his eyes, so he averted his own.</p><p> </p><p>“Derek, happy birthday, once more,” he smiled. “And I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek smiled too, nodding.</p><p> </p><p>Then the Sheriff left again, leaving Stiles and him alone again.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles stood up and walked to the refrigerator. “You want something to drink?”</p><p> </p><p>“Um, some water, please,” Derek mumbled to the table.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t start the awkwardness, we didn’t even have sex,” he said, throwing Derek another cheeky grin. “<em>Yet.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>If Derek could, he’d bolt.</p><p> </p><p>“Duuude,” he suddenly said. “I totally forgot to give you your present.” He jogged to the front door, where he had dropped the bags from that afternoon.</p><p> </p><p>It seemed ages ago. But Derek knew in reality it had to be barely two hours ago.</p><p> </p><p>“Close your eyes!” Stiles yelled from the corridor.</p><p> </p><p>Derek immediately complied, wanting nothing more than to make Stiles happy.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Did he really just think that?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>He barely had any time to freak out over his feelings, because Stiles suddenly nudged his shoulder. Derek smelled a whiff of anxiety coming off of him, before he opened his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>It was a pretty notebook.</p><p> </p><p>Derek looked up at Stiles and smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, come on, open it,” he said, biting on the nail of his thumb. He was still standing next to Derek.</p><p> </p><p>Derek complied once more, looking at the first page. Stiles had written something in bold letters.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>S. S. </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>♡</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>D. H.</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>EST. 2020</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Dork,” Derek grinned at him, still anyone could hear how adoringly it was said.</p><p> </p><p>“You can read all of it later, but this is something I think is really awesome,” Stiles said, not giving Derek the chance to check anything out. He flipped through the pages until they both stared at something Stiles had glued into the notebook — it had not been the only thing that was.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>November 18<sup>th</sup> 2020. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Beacon Hills. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>It read at the bottom. The whole page was showing a nighty sky, with too many stars.</p><p> </p><p>“It, uh, so, this date, I,” Stiles stuttered. “Dude, heh,” he huffed out an embarrassed laugh. “Say something, please?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek turned a few other pages. There were little notes, doodles, lyrics, even pictures. It was like some sort of diary about their relationship for these past few months.</p><p> </p><p>“I remember the date,” Derek said, grasping Stiles’s neck to pull him down in a kiss.</p><p> </p><p>It had been the Wednesday at school. When Derek had been avoiding Stiles. When they had kissed. It was the date of their first kiss.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it a replica of the constellations from that night?” Derek asked, already knowing the answer.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grinned shyly. “Yeah, yeah, it is.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Derek smiled back, looking at the notebook in awe. Nobody had ever made him a memory book before. That was another <em>first</em> Stiles got to cross of the list – a list Derek made up along the way.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re most welcome,” Stiles murmured, once more claiming Derek’s lips.</p><p> </p><p>•••••</p><p> </p><p>Derek climbed up the tree, sensing Peter was already inside.</p><p> </p><p>“Nephew,” Peter greeted. Then he caught Derek’s scent. “Oh, <em>Jesus, Mary and Joseph</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek could feel his skin redden. “I—”</p><p> </p><p>He what? He didn’t even know what to say.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you finally lose your virginity?” Peter teased, whistling.</p><p> </p><p>Derek growled at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, yikes, I take that as a no, what happened?” Peter asked sincere, sitting down at the edge.</p><p> </p><p>Derek slowly sat down next to him, shrugging. “His dad came home.”</p><p> </p><p>Peter burst out laughing. “Talk about a cock block.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned at the saying but knew it would get worse if he asked for clarification. Besides he got a surmise from the word itself. And then, if it meant what Derek thought it meant, the Sheriff had blocked his cock from coming.</p><p> </p><p>He blushed at his own thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>Just– he had been so close.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you guys at least have fun?” his uncle asked, once he had stopped laughing.</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded. “He made me a book, with like stuff.”</p><p> </p><p>Peter nodded. “Yeah, I can imagine how exciting that must have been.”</p><p> </p><p>Even a mute could have picked up the sarcasm. Derek just raised his eyebrows.</p><p> </p><p>Peter rolled his eyes, asking, “What kind of stuff, idiot?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just, um, stories about our days, it’s kind of a journal,” he shrugged in response.</p><p> </p><p>“Nice to hear, Derek, honestly,” Uncle Peter smiled. “Okay, so,” he continued, clapping on his thighs. “Tell me why we had to meet here.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wanted to know how badly I smelled like Stiles,” Derek admitted, the tips of his ears burning.</p><p> </p><p>“Like you bathed in his sweat,” Peter joked.</p><p> </p><p>Or was it?</p><p> </p><p>“Everyone will smell it, so you’ll have to endure it,” Peter said. “Just go and take a shower, maybe it’ll get less throughout the evening.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek nodded, a little bummed. He loved to smell like Stiles, literally <em>loved it</em>. But he didn’t live alone. The whole pack would know what Derek had done; except maybe the children, but they too would smell it.</p><p> </p><p>Then again, why should he care? His aunts and uncles smelled like each other all the time. So, did Shawn and Tessa. So why couldn’t he just smell like Stiles, and no one would bat an eye.</p><p> </p><p>Then it hit him.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t that the pack reacted differently to someone, aside from Derek, having sex. It was that Derek reacted differently at the teasing, than them.</p><p> </p><p>That’s what made it more fun. The fact that Derek got silent and shy and <em>embarrassed. </em>He would turn red, and stutter, and try to save himself.</p><p> </p><p>So, if he acted like nothing was the matter. Maybe they’d leave him alone faster?</p><p> </p><p><em>Boy, </em>was he wrong.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Do you feel for the guys? How sexually frustrated they must be :') Hehehe</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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